Legend: Fires of War
by SarissaDiablo
Summary: Sequel to Dark Beginnings. Sephiroth, Zach, and Cloud have finally gotten through their pasts, but what new horrors will they have to face on the battlefield, and in their own minds? Language, yaoi, violence, battle scenes. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Memories

**This starts one year after Legends: Dark Beginnings. Enjoy, and review please! Oh, and I own nothing, I just do this for my own enjoyment.**

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Cloud looked down at the map, his eyes unfocused and not seeing it. His brain was fuzzy, his body hurt, and he just could not focus on the present. He was so tired, his blue eyes were glazed over as he leaned on his hands. Things had changed so much in a year. They had tried to go through with their plan, but only two days after the first attack, they had been separated.

That night, while he had still been fighting, trying and failing to reestablish the connection with Seph and Zach, he had heard the first gunshots. Both he and Lupus, his wolf, had stopped for only a second before having to fight again, the both of them trying to figure out why there were so many guns going off. Vincent and Yazoo were the only ones with guns, there should not have been over ten firing. Their questions were answered swiftly though. Reno and Rude had pushed through the blood-covered brush, and they and the soldiers had cleared a circle around the exhausted pair.

----------

"_Looks like we got here just in time," Reno said, before stopping and staring. Cloud frowned at him, his eyes narrowing as he sheathed his sword, both he and the wolf taking the burning energy back into their bodies. They couldn't completely contain it though, since the other two men and animals were still burning, still fighting, and Cloud was loath to shut the doors completely, in case one of them needed his help. So both pairs of ice blue eyes still had flickering flames in the iris. Cloud knew his eyes were still burning, but didn't care. If they were truly going to help them fight the war, it would be something they would be seeing quite a lot of._

"_Why are you here?" Cloud asked, his voice soft and dangerous. Reno just stood there, his mouth gaping in shock as he tried to process what he had just seen, and what he was still seeing. Rude was the one who spoke._

"_Zach called us," the man said quietly, easily hiding his shock behind the emotionless mask. "He said you had been separated, and needed help. Boss told us to help you any way we could, until the rest of the army gets here." Cloud just stared at him. He knew that there were too many creatures for even the warriors they all were to fight, but he had not wanted so many innocent people dragged into this mess. He had been the one who failed to kill Hojo the first time, and it was his mistake to correct. Kadaj came stumbling out of the darkness, and Cloud caught him as he collapsed. He took the boy over to a soldier, who gave Kadaj bread and water, which he downed gratefully._

_The army had gotten the last of the monsters while Rude spoke, leaving them in a large circle of peace, while they continued to spread out, killing any creature they came against. He ignored Reno as the man continued trying to talk to him, because he only had eyes for the silver hair and black spikes that were weaving their way around the dead bodies, their two animals flying wearily above them. Cloud narrowed his eyes even more, because Zach had something in his arms, and it looked like a human body. He recognized the body a moment before Kadaj did, who was standing a couple feet away, conversing with the soldier._

"_No!" he screamed, launching himself towards Zach. Cloud had to move very quickly to intercept the boy, and they both fell to their knees as Kadaj continued to scream, one hand reaching out towards the prone figure in Zach's arms. His screams lowered to whispers, and his body had turned to jelly by the time the dead body of Loz was placed next to them. Kadaj became quiet, his green eyes distant as he placed his hand on his brothers' chest. Cloud let him go, and when he stood, Kadaj moved so he was kneeling by his brothers' side, both hands now on the body, his eyes closed and head bowed. The only other time he looked up that night, was when Yazoo had come and kneeled on the other side. They had looked at each other for but a moment, and then they both laid their hands over Loz's heart, kneeling there for the remainder of the night. _

_The next day, Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach were sitting in a large tent, with the rest of their group, and Rude and Reno. Cloud had a death grip on the arm of the chair, and it was taking everything he had not to jump up and strangle the two Turks. Specifically Reno. The red head was assuming that the three men would follow their orders. They were very wrong._

"_You three are in command here," Reno said, pointing to a map of the northern continent, specifically Icicle Village. "Vincent and Marlene will be in Bone Village, and they will be the ones to make sure this war doesn't spill across the waters. You two-" he began, looking at the two brothers, who were paler then usual. Kadaj had Loz's axe across his knees, still stained with blood. Cloud slammed his hand down on the table, letting his eyes burn slightly, just enough to make Rude and Reno scoot their chairs a little farther away from him._

"_Those two will be with us in Icicle," he said quietly, and the two men by his side nodded their heads in agreement. "They will take charge whenever we have to leave, do you understand? If the fucking President is going to make us fight with the Army, then this war is going to be fought our way, or you will not have Generals. Is that clear?" The tone of his voice booked no argument, and the two Turks had a hard time keeping themselves from saluting, even as they agreed. _

_----------_

**Sephiroth and Zach are coming in**, Lupus told him. Cloud shook himself out from his daze, looking over at the huge wolf. His mind wandered again as he took in the size of the animal. They hadn't been kidding when they had said they were going to grow with them. Cloud's head only came to the animals shoulder, and Lupus even had a mane of golden fur around his head, almost the same color as Cloud's hair. His paws were easily the size of dinner trays, but he had retractable claws, very much like a cat.

**Cloud, snap out of it,** Lupus said again, getting irritated. Cloud nodded, yawning, and walking over to his wolf, he slipped his foot into the stirrup, and hoisted himself into the light saddle they had agreed on. Lupus walked out of the reformed barn, and Cloud blinked into the bright daylight. The cold wind biting at his exposed face didn't even have the force to wake him up, and as Lupus walked through the town, Cloud began to think back to the last time he slept. He raised his hand in an automatic greeting as someone said his name, but his mind was far from here. He couldn't remember. He knew it hadn't been last week, because last week they had lost some of Zach's mounted division in a surprise attack from Hojo. He didn't think it had been the week before either, since that was when Sephiroth and Zach had left, attempting to retake the pass not 30 miles from where Icicle stood. He shook his head, trying to clear it, as they neared the gate, and Lupus stopped, sitting down so Cloud could climb off. He did, just as the large wooden doors that barred the town from the outside swung open.

Cloud's first instinct was to rush to the two men who were coming through the gate, their animals walking slowly behind them. As Sephiroth and Zach neared him, an ear splitting scream came from somewhere to his right. Cloud had time to look over, grinning as a black blur attached itself to Zach. Tifa was grinning widely, and Zach was the same as they kissed with a passion only separation can inspire. Sephiroth looked at Cloud, and raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching. Cloud grinned in response, knowing what he fellow General was asking, even without the connection they shared. Instead of acting like the General he was, Cloud said screw it, and walking over to Sephiroth, he grabbed the man, bending him over backwards like in a cheesy romance flick, and gave him a kiss that made the Silver General go limp in his strong arms. They let the fear and stress melt away with that kiss, their lips moving slowly and teasingly over each other's. Sephiroth's arms wrapped around Cloud's neck, and the kiss deepened as their bodies grew hard, both remembering the last time they had been alone together.

----------

_Sephiroth awoke to the sound of someone crying softly, and since the only person who was with him was Cloud, he was instantly on the alert. He opened his eyes, and feeling the emptiness in the bed next to him, he propped himself up on one elbow, looking around the small tent they shared. Cloud was standing at the entrance, looking off into the distance as his shoulders silently shook, the tears glistening in the light from the campfires outside. Sephiroth stood, not noticing the cold even in his undressed state, and walked over to the other man, wrapping his arms around Cloud's bare shoulders, pulling the smaller man to rest against his chest. Sephiroth laid a gentle kiss on his shoulder, and he felt Cloud relax against him, even though the tears still came._

"_What is wrong my love?" Sephiroth asked quietly, and he was completely unprepared as Cloud turned, and with an anguished cry, buried his face against Sephiroth's chest, his quiet tears becoming more forceful, and the sounds of utter heartbreak made Sephiroth close his own eyes, fighting his own tears. He held Cloud tighter, knowing the reason for the tears. _

_It had been six months of constant fighting, constant death. Cloud got to see the worst of it, because he was always on the front line of battle, knowing that sometimes only his superior skills were all that kept his troops from being destroyed utterly. Each death had torn something inside of him, and he had let no one know that he was dying inside, not even Sephiroth or Zach. It wasn't until this last battle, where Cloud's second in command, a woman by the name of Alia, had called Sephiroth, letting him know that something was very wrong with his lover. Cloud had come back from the battle, and she had said he was hollow eyed, and there was no one inside of those eyes. He had gone back out immediately, after seeing that all those injured under his command were taken care of, to try to destroy the creatures that had them penned in. She had called Sephiroth, and even though he had been at Icicle, and with Draco flying them, it had only taken an hour to get to Cloud's position, by the time he had gotten there Cloud and Lupus were in the middle of a blood bath. Nether Draco or Sephiroth had been able to connect to them via mind, and all they could sense was anger, and a numbing darkness. Draco and Sephiroth had joined the fray, and soon Hojo's creatures had been called back, leaving the four of them covered in blood, dead bodies strewn everywhere, some of them still twitching. Cloud had looked up, and meeting his dead eyes had been the hardest thing Sephiroth had ever done._

"_I couldn't let them risk their lives again," Cloud had said, and Sephiroth blinked, slowly walking over to the smaller man, resting a large hand on his shoulder._

"_They are soldiers, it is why they joined the Army, to fight with us," Sephiroth said quietly, not liking the way Cloud just nodded, sheathing his sword. Then they had gone back to camp, to let the troops know that valley was theirs again._

_Sephiroth took a deep breath, divorcing himself from his emotions, which was harder then usual, considering his emotions had to do with the man in his arms. He was finally calm, and he opened his eyes, grasping Cloud's shoulders, and pushing him away slightly so he could look down into those haunted blue eyes._

"_Are you ready to talk about it?" Sephiroth asked quietly, grateful when Cloud nodded, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. Sephiroth followed him as he walked back over to the bed, sitting on the edge and wrapping a blanket around him. Sephiroth sat next to him, and laying his hand on the bare knee next to him, he waited. _

"_I watch them die because of me," Cloud began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was the one who let Hojo live, even if I didn't mean to. I am the one who brought all of this down on everyone. Most of the people in my division are just children, hardly any of them over 20. They are innocent. None of them deserve this, fighting in a war not of their making. They don't deserve to die." The last sentence was breathed, not even loud enough to be called a whisper. Sephiroth blinked, realizing something. Cloud, for all of his maturity and everything he had been through, was naïve with this. He had never been in command of troops, never had to make a life or death situation that revolved around his men. Sephiroth had, and to a lesser extent, so had Zach. Sephiroth tried thinking of how to explain this, and sighing, he settled for the absolute truth._

"_No, they don't deserve it, but they have earned it," he began, and his words earned him a startled, and slightly angry look from the blond. He smiled slightly, and held up his hand, making Cloud shut his mouth before any words came out. "Let me explain. I have talked to these men, and each one knows that they have the possibility of dying. They also know you are the one who failed to kill Hojo, and they do not blame you for it. Each person I have talked to, has told me that they would rather die in battle, making sure their loved ones are safe, then to cower in their homes, not knowing if their presence would be the one that turned the battle." Sephiroth stopped, but when Cloud continued to be silent, he kept going._

"_You have never been in a war, so this is your first time holding lives in your hands. Sometimes you can save them, sometimes you cannot. Sometimes you have to make the decision where you know some of them will not come back alive. That is the strength, and weakness of being a General. Strength, because knowing that those people put their lives in your hands, makes you the best leader you can be. Weakness, because to be a good leader, you give your loyalty back. That loyalty comes with a price. You will feel each death as though someone has taken a piece of your heart, and carved it out. You must be a leader to those you have left, and that means pushing through the pain, and not giving into it. When you do, you make rash decisions, like the one you did earlier."Sephiroth closed his mouth, watching the reactions from Cloud. At first, he was angry, but as Sephiroth continued talking, his face had become thoughtful, then settled on a resigned acceptance. _

"_You're right," Cloud said quietly, and Sephiroth smiled slightly. "I have been so concerned with avenging the dead, and letting the fact that I let my men get killed, I lost sight of the bigger picture. I let myself be torn to pieces with the guilt of those who had died, instead of accepting those deaths. I realize I can feel remorse and guilt for those deaths, but I cannot let it consume me. I still have troops that are alive, and those that are dead I cannot help. I must be here for the living, because I can't do anything for the dead." Sephiroth truly smiled, and leaned over, giving Cloud a gentle kiss on the lips. He had meant it to only be reassuring, but Cloud suddenly turned his entire body, pressing their nakedness together as he deepened the kiss. Sephiroth was surprised, but not shocked. He could remember how it had been, in the middle of a war. The need to be held, pressed against something warm. The need to be reminded that you're still alive._

_Cloud pressed him back down onto the bed, their lips never parting. He let out a soft sigh as Sephiroth reached up, running his slender fingers through Cloud's hair, then trailing his fingertips down the scarred skin of his back. Cloud smiled, opening his eyes as he pulled back from the kiss, and just looked at the man underneath him. He was so strong, his Silver General. Strong in ways Cloud could never be. _

_Cloud lowered his lips to Sephiroth's neck, his biting and licking eliciting small noises from those lush lips. Cloud felt himself grow even harder at the abandon that Sephiroth showed, his fingers grasping and kneading the muscles of Cloud's shoulders, his body twitching as he gave himself over to the passion. Cloud finally kissed his way down the hard stomach, pausing for a moment to run the tip of his tongue in the grooves made by the perfectly toned abs. He let the tip of his finger run up Sephiroth's hard length, where it lay long and thick against the mans smooth hip. He felt Sephiroth shudder underneath him, and looked up through half closed eyes, glazed with desire._

"_I want this," he said, giving it emphasis by squeezing the base, making Sephiroth arch his back and cry out, looking down at Cloud with glazed, wild jade eyes. "Inside me." He ran the tip of his tongue from base to tip, making Sephiroth's eyes roll back into his head. He slipped the head between his lips, and a soft groan was ripped from Sephiroth as Cloud began moving his mouth up and down slowly, using his tongue to apply pressure. _

"_Stop, stop," Sephiroth gasped out, and Cloud did immediately, raising his head, and giving the man underneath him a lazy smile. Sephiroth returned it, and moving quickly, he switched their positions, except Cloud was on his stomach, Sephiroth kneeling between his legs, his breath warm on the back of the blonds' neck. Cloud shivered as Sephiroth's lips ghosted over his shoulders, back and forth, until all Cloud could do was squirm, making small noises, wanting Sephiroth to finish it, to do something other then that feather light touch of his lips. _

_Sephiroth grinned, and firmly set his teeth in Cloud's shoulder, making the man underneath him cry out, but not with pain. Sephiroth reached over, swiftly extracting some oil from the small travel desk that was sitting next to the bed. He rested back into his knees so both hands were free, which allowed Cloud to raise himself up on his hands and knees. Sephiroth coated the fingers of his left hand with the oil, and then had to close his eyes as Cloud pressed himself backwards, rubbing his hips in a circular motion on Sephiroth's erection. He let it go on for a moment more, before dropping the bottle on the bed, and grabbing Cloud's hip, effectively stopping the motion. Cloud laughed softly, which turned into a breathy moan as Sephiroth slid one finger into him. _

_Cloud held himself still, or tried to, but as Sephiroth began to move his finger inside, flicking over that special spot inside of him, he couldn't. The first flick ripped a loud gasp from his lips, and the second had him moving his hips shamelessly, even more when Sephiroth slid a second finger in. Cloud clenched the sheets of the bed in his fists, biting his bottom lip to keep from screaming, as Sephiroth kept playing with that spot. Finally, Sephiroth removed his fingers, and Cloud took the moment to fall limp onto the bed, his muscles trembling even though he hadn't had an orgasm yet. Sephiroth laughed softly, which made Cloud grin, before the man placed his hands on Cloud's hips, moving him back to his knees. Cloud happily obliged, and held himself still as Sephiroth aligned his erection with the entrance, and began to slide his way in. _

_Sephiroth had to still himself as he slid home, the tight muscle clenching around him almost enough to make him come. The soft noises Cloud was making weren't helping either. After a moment, the feeling of impending orgasm lessened, and he began to move, slowly sliding himself in and out of Cloud, watching the man underneath him writhe with the effort it was taking him not to scream. Cloud was not a quiet one in bed, and as Sephiroth made his thrusts deeper, hitting that spot with each thrust, he finally got to see evidence of that. With the first touch, Cloud threw his head back, moaning loudly. With only a couple more hard thrusts, Cloud had his face buried into the pillow, screaming into the feathers. Sephiroth could feel the sweat building on his face, and licked his lips, closing his eyes as he concentrated on hitting that spot every time._

"_Sephiroth!" Cloud screamed out, his voice muffled by the pillow, but Sephiroth heard perfectly. Hearing his screamed name, the orgasm that he had been fighting roared back to life, and he began pushing into Cloud as hard and fast as he could. With a final scream, Cloud's body convulsed around his, his face rising from the pillow, and giving a long, pleasure filled scream. Sephiroth followed, growling deeply as his own orgasm rushed through him, and into Cloud. They both stayed like that for a moment, before they collapsed to the bed, breathing heavily. They both raised their eyes at the same moment, hearing footsteps approaching their tent swiftly. They stopped by the entrance, and both men waited for the person to say something._

"_You both alive?" Alia asked, and Cloud raised an eyebrow, a wide grin splitting Sephiroth's face._

"_Yes, we are," Cloud responded._

"_Ok then. Next time, don't scream so loud," she retorted, before walking swiftly away. Cloud looked over at Sephiroth, who was trying hard and not being able to keep the grin from his face. Sephiroth had a hand covering his mouth, but his eyes were sparkling with the suppressed laugh._

"_Go ahead, I know I'm a screamer," he said with resigned amusement, and pulled the blanket over them as Sephiroth finally began to laugh._

_----------_

They parted from the kiss to whistles and cheers from the men, and Cloud brought Sephiroth to his feet, but the silver haired man didn't let him go when he tried to pull away. So they stayed there, their bodies pressed tightly to each other's, eyes closed and arms holding the other body tightly. Cloud finally opened his eyes, and didn't like how the world was a little fuzzy. He turned his head so he could ask Zach something, and a wide grin split his face as he took in the man and Tifa.

She had him bent backwards, just as Sephiroth had been, but she wasn't letting the man up, and it didn't look like Zach wanted her to. They were still locked in their kiss, Zach's hands wandering over her body, while Tifa continued to hold him up effortlessly. Sephiroth shook his head, and Cloud did too, before Draco interrupted them all, which make Tifa let out a small scream, and drop Zach to the muddy ground.

_**Not that this isn't interesting,**_the dragon said, giving them all a serious look out of those jade eyes, even as Sephiroth, Cloud, and the troops laughed hysterically as Zach tried to extract himself from the mud, and Tifa was trying to help him, she ended up right next to him. **But we need to report what we found, and get in touch with Denzel and Genesis. **Cloud nodded to the dragon, trying to control his laughter. It had been awhile since he had this good of a laugh. Finally, when Zach and Tifa just began wrestling around in the mud, the three animals shook their head in disgust, and walked back through town, towards the barn.

Cloud and Sephiroth clung to each other, both out of breath with laughter. Finally, Zach and Tifa broke apart, and Zach got up first, helping Tifa to her feet. Then they both turned, and Sephiroth and Cloud, knowing the evil gleam in both pairs of eyes, started backing away from the pair, their hands held out in front of them.

"Oh no," Cloud said, watching Tifa carefully, because he knew what she was going to do. Mud was dripping off her, and he knew the two of them were planning on jumping, covering Cloud and Sephiroth in mud too. "You touch me with that mud covered body, and I'll make you clean the chocobo stables." Tifa just grinned bigger, and Cloud took off running, Sephiroth at his side, as the couple launched their bodies at the retreating pair. Unfortunately, the entire dirt road was slippery with mud from melting snow, and the men and animals that went down this way every day. So, Cloud ended up face first with Tifa on his back, and Sephiroth was on his back, with Zach sitting on his stomach. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the four of them to get into a wrestling match in the middle of town, and their laughter drew fellow soldiers to them. Soon, it became a wrestling match that included over fifty people. The laughter rang over the Village, lifting spirits, and making them believe that maybe, just maybe, it would be ok.


	2. Weapons and Allies

They all arranged themselves around the large table, Cloud at the head of the table, with Sephiroth to his left, and Zach to his right. Tifa was next to Zach, and Yazoo was next to her. Reno and Rude sat next to Sephiroth, and they were all looking expectantly at Sephiroth and Zach. The animals were inside the barn that was next door, Lupus doing his best to clean the mud and blood off the other two. Cloud wrapped his hands around the warmth of the coffee mug in front of him, hoping that the caffeine would wake him up. Sephiroth glanced to him, and then turned towards everyone else, smiling slightly before he began speaking.

"We were able to retake the pass," he said, stretching out a hand, and indicating the valley that separated them from Hojo's forces. He moved his finger to the top of the valley, by the crater, tapping it a couple times. "We were only able to force them back here before we were overwhelmed. The entrance is ours for the time being, but it is only temporary. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am getting very tired of this game were playing. We have been trying to keep this pass for the past year, and while we are able to keep them from coming any farther then the valley, we still cannot get anywhere close to the crater." He leaned back in his seat, his eyes worried.

"Zach, do you have anything to add?" Cloud asked, looking to the dark haired General. Zach shook his head, and Cloud smirked slightly as dried mud flaked off with the movement. None of them had taken the time to clean up.

"Have any of you heard anything from Denzel and Genesis?" Reno asked, his voice very unlike what it used to be. He had grown up in the past year, and was no longer the rash, temperamental man he had been. They all shook their heads, and Cloud sighed, taking a drink, and letting the warmth soothe him. Denzel and Genesis were undercover with Hojo. Luckily, Hojo was so deep in his madness, he no longer recognized either Denzel or Genesis, which made them perfect spies. They had been up there for the whole year, but it wasn't until six months ago that they had gotten Hojo to trust them enough to include them in his…activities. Yawning slightly, Cloud set down his coffee, and reached out to touch both Zach and Sephiroth, idly playing his fingertips over the mud. He slowly opened the doors between them, because the last time he had crashed the doors open, he had made them lose concentration with the power rush, which is not a good thing in the middle of a battle.

Aeris had told him to be careful that he didn't knock the other two men out. Since he was the top of the triangle, he held more power then the other two. It was entirely possible to render them unconscious with his power. So the doors creaked open, and he saw the two men sway for a moment before they became accustomed to the new surge in power. Their eyes began to burn, as they always did when the doors were open between them.

_Ready?_ Cloud asked both of them, and they nodded. The three closed their eyes, and thinking of Denzel, they were instantly swept away by the vision.

----------

_Denzel stiffened as he felt the three Generals, then forced himself to relax. He looked over, catching Genesis's eye, and tapped his head, their silent signal to each other, letting them know that they had been contacted. Denzel looked around, but Hojo was busy with a little boy, no more then five years old. For the past couple months, he had been trying to replicate the wings that Denzel and Genesis had, using their blood and cells. Neither man told him about the triangle, or that they were Protectors. It would give the entire game away. _

_Denzel leaned against the consol, crossing his arms and adopting a bored expression as he ignored the screams. Genesis came and stood by him, casually leaning into him and resting his head on his shoulder. Denzel uncrossed one of his arms, grinning slightly at the surprise from the three men in his head, as with a casual familiarity he slipped his arm around Genesis's waist, his hand going underneath the shirt to rub the bare skin reassuringly. _

We don't have anything new,_ Denzel said, continuing to watch Hojo, as he muttered to himself, making small adjustments to the various instruments that were attached to the boys' cage._

I do have something to report, _Genesis said, giving Denzel a rueful smile. _Sorry, with everything with the boy and what's been happening the past couple days, it slipped my mind. Hojo has started to create his WEAPON. _Everyone took in a collective breath at that, and back in Icicle, the men's bodies tensed, and the animals let out wild screams, full of fear and defiance._

Are you sure?_ Cloud asked, wrapping himself in a deep calm. Genesis nodded, and winced slightly as the boy let out a particularly piercing scream._

I saw the plans for it, when Hojo had left me alone in the lab, after one of his examinations. It looks like a mix between animal, plant, and insect, but there were no defining features I could see. It seemed as though it was just going to be one big blob. However, he did write that he would need someone inside of it, to control it. I don't know exactly what that means, but I am assuming he's talking about a person with Jenova cells. We've been very careful that anyone who has Jenova cells doesn't reach him. _The last was said with a ruthless practicality, and while they all mourned the loss of even one innocent, they all knew that Hojo could not have any more people that had Jenova cells. He was doing enough damage with the cells he was getting from Genesis and Denzel._

Anything on the weapon you had originally gone to find? _Zach asked, and they all blinked as both Genesis and Denzel grinned wickedly._

As a matter of fact, we found something very interesting. _They would probably get in trouble for this, but they slipped away from the lab, wrapping their long coats tighter around themselves. It was cold here, and Hojo never bothered to put in anything for heat, since he himself couldn't feel the cold. They walked for almost 10 minutes, everyone quiet, until they reached a set of doors that could have easily accommodated the tall figure of Aquila, Zach's eagle. They punched in a series of numbers, and the door opened, blinding them for a moment with a wash of bright green and blue light. As the light died down, the three men in Icicle gasped, their mouths dropping open in shock as Genesis and Denzel just smirked._

We found it, plus some,_ Denzel said. _

_The room had nothing but weapons, and against the wall, there were three swords, all replicas of the weapons the three Generals used. Sephiroth's Masamune was not the one he had now, though. It was the single bladed one that everyone had come to associate with the Silver General during the Wutai War. Even from a distance, they looked razor sharp, and the metal wasn't your typical silver, or even dark grey. It was black, with what seemed like blue and green veins running through them. Looking around, every weapon in this room was made with the same odd black metal. There were guns, swords, and even a couple axes._

Hojo couldn't have made all these,_ Sephiroth said quietly. Denzel shook his head, chuckling softly. _

He delights in letting us know, before he became a scientist, he was apprenticed to a weapons master. The same weapons master that made the Masamune and Buster Sword, and also Cloud's Ultima. Cloud's weapon was actually the very last one he made, before Hojo killed him and took all the blueprints of the weapons. _Cloud shook his head, and something tugged on his mind. He turned his attention slightly, and then Lupus was there._

**You can bring them to you, **_the wolf said, and the other two spirits added their agreement. Cloud looked at the other two men, his eyes wide with wonder._

How can we do that? _He asked, and Draco chuckled softly, tsking them as though he were ignorant. _

**You can transport objects to you, no matter how far away,**_ the dragon said, and Cloud sat back in his chair, thinking. Lupus made the connection closer, and Cloud knew how to do it._

Denzel, Genesis, I need you to touch the three weapons that are ours, can you do that? _The two men nodded, and walked over to the wall, easily lowering the three huge swords. They pressed the hilts together as close as they could, both pairs of hands encompassing the three hilts easily. Cloud took a deep breath, and sunk down farther into that burning power inside of him, deeper then he ever went before. The three Generals all burst into flame at the same moment, brighter then anyone at the table had ever seen them. Cloud opened the connection between them and Marlene and Vincent, giving them a brief explanation of what was going on. They sat down, and swept open their own shields, letting Cloud take whatever he needed. The weapons and eyes of the four Protectors began to burn, their clothing and hair moving in the wind created by the power Cloud had summoned. Taking a deep breath, his body shivering as he fought to control that much power, power that wanted to be used, he tapped into the animals, and had to clench the table in front of him, the pain helping his control. The energy that their three animals had was astounding. One of their power levels was easily equal to the power the three Generals could summon._

_Cloud took a deep breath, letting his body_ _grow accustomed to the power as it was going to, and then centered himself. He concentrated on an image of the swords that Genesis and Denzel were holding, coming to them and landing on the table. Lupus shouted something he couldn't understand as he released the power, and right before the energy backlashed into them, he heard what sounded like hundreds of pieces of metal hitting the table and floor. He had time to open his eyes, gasping as his body was ravaged with pain, and wondered where all the swords came from, before they all collapsed, unconscious._

_----------_

Cloud woke up groggily, and the first thing he heard was a pained groan. Realizing it came from him, he lay completely still, wondering why his body hurt so much.

**You used too much power, **Lupus said, his mental voice chiding. Cloud groaned again, and pushed himself to a sitting position, cracking his eyes open and noticing first that it was night, and second he was in the barn, Sephiroth and Zach nestled next to him, still sound asleep. Reminded of the last time they had all woken up together like this, when he was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Zach and Sephiroth were both back from the dead, made him smile. Look at how far they had come in the two years since.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, but when he went to stand, he fell, because he legs were like jelly. So he just lay there, staring at the oddly beautiful patterns of the wood underneath him. When he felt as though his legs could support him, he warily stood up. Besides a slightly shaking in his knees, he was able to stand. He walked towards the entrance to the barn, where Lupus and Draco were sitting, staring out into the night. He rested a hand on Lupus's shoulder, and they all watched the new snow coming down in silence.

"Was anyone hurt?" Cloud asked, dreading the answer, but able to keep his voice steady. The dragon shook his head no, and Cloud breathed a sigh of relief.

**Well, at least not seriously. When you have close to 50 weapons coming down on top of you, someone was bound to get hurt, **Draco said. Cloud looked at him, and shook his head slightly, remembering the multitude of swords that he had seen before passing out. He smiled ruefully, before the smile slipped, and he reached up a hand to rub his temples.

"Where's Aquila?" he asked, and the dragon and wolf snorted in amusement.

**He couldn't stand sitting still, **Lupus said, and Cloud grinned. The animals were very much like the humans they were bound too. Aquila had inherited the boundless energy that Zach always seemed to have. **He's out flying patrol. **Cloud nodded, and walked out the door of the barn, taking a sharp left around the building to where the meeting building stood against the barn. He stopped at the door, his hand on the knob. Taking a deep breath, he opened it, and his eyes widened as his jaw dropped at the sight that greeted him.

Swords, guns, axes, weapons of every size and shape were spread out across the floor. Walking into the room and flipping on the light, he carefully placed his feet so he didn't slip and accidentally kill himself. He made his way over to the table, where his, Zach's and Sephiroth's swords were placed. He wrapped his hand around the hilt of his own sword, and hefting it, he blinked in amazement. This sword was even lighter then the other one. He examined it closely, and with several swift movements, he unlocked all the blades, putting each one in a row. Genesis wasn't lying. It was a perfect copy of his Ultima, down to the hilt, and connecting points, which were blue instead of red. He connected them all together again, and lifting it, he made his way out of the room, noticing as he got into brighter light, that the edges where they had been sharpened, was a bright, pure silver.

He decided to test this new sword. It had three extra slots for materia, so now he had Lightning, Fire, Quake, and a couple others. Where the other one would only hold three, this new sword could hold eight. Lupus was quickly eating up the ground, as they ran away from Icicle, intent on getting to the forest that was to the south of them. The village needed more firewood, and there had been reports of monsters lurking in the forest.

----------

They entered the forest a little less then an hour later. They had been walking not two minutes down the path when the first monster attacked them. In one underhanded swing, Cloud easily cut off the beasts' head, the sword almost flying from his hand because of the unaccustomed lightness. Cloud stared at the blade, a grin lighting his features as he shook it, and the blood just flew off, not even sticking to the blade.

"I like this thing already," he said, slipping off the saddle. He walked over to a tree, and as easily as he sliced through the neck of the monster, he cut down a tree that was easily eight feet in diameter. Just as it fell with a resounding crash, a whole pack of wolf-like monsters charged them. Cloud took up his fighting stance, sword in front of him as he grinned wildly. This should be a good test, he thought, before cutting down the first one.

He and Lupus had been separated, Zach and Sephiroth were still asleep, but Aquila and Draco were on their way. So here he was, staring up at the twisted face of a wolf, as it growled at him, one of its paws resting on his chest, the other holding down his arm, and sword. Knowing that he was going to die, he stared up with defiance at the creature towering over him. Then it did something completely unexpected. It talked.

"Leave thiss foresst," it hissed. Cloud blinked, his jaw dropping open in pure shock. It…talked?

"You can talk!" he said stupidly, and then winced at the pure asinine statement. The creature shook its head, and the look in its eyes was not that of an animal. It had amusement and anger still in its odd yellow eyes.

"Yess I can talk," it said. "I will explain, if you do not kill me." Cloud nodded, and the creature backed away slowly, sitting down on its haunches and watching him warily. Cloud pushed himself to a sitting position, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, watching the creature in amazement. He contacted Lupus, who was busy tearing apart another monster, told him to stop fighting, and find him. But he wasn't to kill the creature that was sitting in front of him.

"Call off your wolf, Cetra Child," the creature said, and Cloud grinned slightly.

"I will if you tell the other…um, creatures to stop attacking my wolf." The creature nodded, and he instantly felt relief from Lupus. Cloud contacted the other two animals, and told them the same thing he told Lupus. Don't kill any of the creatures. He focused his attention back on the one in front of him, and tilted his head to the side, examining the wolf in front of him.

It had bright yellow eyes, but its black fur reminded him of his own hair. It looked like fur, but it was spiky, and he knew just by looking at them that they would be rock hard, and not fur at all. The tail reminded him of quills, and Cloud figured that the wolf could smack someone with its tail, and the quills would stick. They were probably filled with some sort of venom too. Overall it did look like a wolf, with the ears, muzzle and build very much like the animal. It paws were huge though, with oversized claws. They probably had venom too. He looked back into its eyes, and was once against startled by the intelligence he saw there.

"Do you have a name?" Cloud asked, but then crashing could be heard through the trees, and Lupus could be seen, wolf creatures like the one in front of him following on his sides and behind. Lupus slid to a stop, and turned, his hackles bristling as he growled at the creatures following him. They growled back, but slowly moved around him, until they were arranged behind the wolf in front of Cloud. They settled down, eyes of every color turning towards Cloud, and each pair of eyes held that same intelligence. What are these things? Cloud thought. Lupus came, and lay down behind Cloud, who leaned up against the warm furry bulk. Lupus moved his tail, covering Cloud with it like a blanket, to which the man was grateful. Now that he wasn't fighting, it was quite cold. Not to mention he was sitting in about a foot of snow. The wolf in front of him, and the one behind him looked assessingly at each other.

**She's as intelligent as you or I**, Lupus said, and Cloud just blinked, knowing this already.

"Do you have a name?" Cloud asked again, with some amusement as the wolf in front of him blinked, and looked at him, a very obvious light of interest in her eyes. "I don't want to call you creature, or she-wolf." Cloud heard what he thought was a growl, but realized the wolf was chuckling softly.

"I am called Glaci," the wolf said. Cloud nodded, and held out a hand, which she came and sniffed politely, before running her cold nose over his forehead, leaving a streak of wetness. Cloud laughed, and wiped it away.

"I don't mean to be rude, but what are you?" Cloud asked, and Glaci settled herself down, crossing her paws in front of her. She looked at the pack that was behind her, before turning back to him.

"The firsst thing I remember, wass waking up in a lab," she said quietly, and Cloud narrowed his eyes. So she was an experiment of Hojo's. "I ssaw what looked like more of me, in a large container of what I now know wass mako. There was twenty of uss in the beginning, and what you ssee now iss all that iss left. Genessiss realizzed-"

"Wait, you know Genesis?" Cloud asked, amazed. She nodded.

"He wass the one who realizzed we were intelligent, and he and the other sstaged something sso we could esscape. They told uss about thiss foresst, sso we came here, becausse we did not want to fight for Hojo. I did not know how to approach you humanss to assk if we could fight by your sside. The firsst human I came in contact with, tried to kill me, ass did the ssecond. They did not take the chance to realizze we were intelligent." Cloud blinked, and made a decision. He stood, and walked over to her, resting a hand on the top of her head, smiling slightly. The spikes were just as he figured. They were hard as rocks, and very sharp at the tips.

"I would be very grateful if you would like to join us," he said quietly. Lupus stood, and walked to his side, giving the she-wolf a gentle lick on her cheek. Cloud coughed to cover a laugh. If she had been human, she would be blushing bright red. As it was, she ducked her head, hiding her eyes. Cloud did laugh as she raised her head, a definite light of interest in her eyes as she gazed at Lupus. The two wolves gave him a scathing look, so he swallowed his laughter, even though it bubbled up occasionally. Glaci stood, and she even towered over Lupus, which made Cloud swallow. He was very glad, seeing that all the wolves were the same size, that these creatures were now on their side.

"I sspeak for my entire pack, when I ssay we will gladly fight with you, General," she said, and then raised her muzzle, howling into the dawn sky, the other wolves and Lupus following her example. Cloud shivered in awe at the happy, yet mournful sound. He felt a shiver on his awareness, and sighing, he began walking to the entrance of the forest. He got the job of explaining to Aquila and Draco how some of Hojo's experiments were now allies.


	3. Weird Army

When Cloud and his group had showed up at the outskirts of the Village, the only thing that stopped the soldiers inside from shooting was the very noticeable figure of Cloud and Lupus in front. Walking regally next to him was Glaci, with the rest of the pack trailing along behind them. They had stopped at the gates, but no one was willing to open up. Before Cloud could speak, anger making him frown, Sephiroth, Zach, Yazoo, and Kadaj leaped over the wall, landing gracefully in front of the awaiting party.

Conversation was polite as each group measured each other, Cloud's fellow Generals tense, but willing to speak with the wolves in a normal voice. One of the wolves had been eyeing Yazoo for the most part of the conversation, and abruptly walked over to him, hitting him lightly in the chest with his snout.

"Would you like a partner?" The purple eyed wolf asked Yazoo, who only gaped at him a minute, before smiling slightly.

"You would carry me upon your back?" Yazoo asked curiously. The wolf nodded its head, and Yazoo and the wolf immediately began talking about what material would be best to create a saddle like Cloud's. Then Glaci walked up to Kadaj, and did the same thing the other one had. Kadaj fell to the ground though, staring up at the wolf with quiet amusement.

"Would you do me the honor of partnering with me?" Glaci asked, her bright yellow eyes staring into Kadaj's bright green ones. He nodded slowly once, and then she gently gripped the front of his shirt with her teeth, pulling him to his feet. Kadaj then grinned, and walked over to his brother, where they began talking about the saddles and such, walking back towards the Village to get supplies. They had come back, arms full of different materials, including some of Draco's shed skin. They also came back with Draco and Aquila, each of who went to their charges.

They all talked normally for a while, creating a large bonfire when night fell, as Kadaj and Yazoo traveled around the wolves, testing the material against the wolves' sharp fur. Then Glaci had decided, very abruptly, to tell them all about how Hojo cloned their animal partners. It floored them all for a moment, before they quickly recovered.

"So you're telling me that Hojo somehow got the cells of Lupus, Draco, and Aquila, and are making copies of them?" Sephiroth asked in amazement, horror, and a little awe, from where he sat atop Draco.

Glaci nodded, and then snapped playfully at Kadaj as he tried fitting a saddle over the spikes on her back. He just chuckled softly, and patted her on the shoulder, before going back to work. All the wolves had agreed to carry riders into battle, but so far, Yazoo and Kadaj were the only ones brave enough to approach the fearsome looking beasts, not that they really had a choice. There were only six wolves total, and each one had said they would be very picky of their riders. Glaci's first comment upon seeing Kadaj, was to stare directly at Sephiroth, and then at Cloud.

"He is very much a mix between the two of you," she had said, which only made the two Generals blink, and look at Kadaj assessingly. So now both Kadaj and Yazoo were adjusting saddles that had been fashioned after the one Lupus had, trying to figure out a material to use that wouldn't be cut to pieces by the razor sharp fur.

"The three of you were very careless when you grew," she explained, shifting onto her left side when Kadaj asked her too. "You would shed, but you left them where Hojo could find them. He then used the cells he got from them to clone you, but they didn't turn out quite as he expected. We have the same level of intelligence, but from being immersed in mako for as long as we were, we developed differently. I am to understand you started out long and skinny, Draco?" She asked, settling her eyes on the dragon. He nodded, watching her warily.

**When these three expressed a need for mounts, we did not want them riding chocobo's, or motorcycles into battle. Chocobo's can die, and the bikes can break down. So we all grew large enough to accommodate them.** The three men looked at their animals, heads tilted to the side. So that's why they all grew so big, Cloud thought. It was true Draco didn't look like he had at first. He still retained the long neck, same head, and tail, but his body had thickened, vaguely reminded Cloud of a wolf, or a horse. The long, sinuous snake-like body he started with was long gone.

"The dragons that I saw still retained their snake-like form," she informed them, sighing as Kadaj asked her to shift to her other side. She obliged, but made it very clear she was getting annoyed. Kadaj only grinned again, and went back to tightening the straps, rubbing them against her fur every which way to see if the harness stood against it. So far, this one was working, but it was made out of the shed skin of Draco, whose hide couldn't be pierced by anything. Cloud shifted where he was leaning against Lupus, the wolf's tail once again covering him like a blanket. Every so often he had to push some of the fur out of the way, just so he could see.

"What about the eagles?" Zack asked, from where he was curled up underneath Aquila, the birds' wings making an effective barrier against the wind. Glaci laughed, a high yipping sound that made the other wolves look at her, before settling back down.

"The eagles were the only ones he wasn't able to keep captive for longer then a day," she said with a smile in her voice. Her speech was getting clearer the longer she talked, the hissing becoming almost non-existent. "When fully matured, they are larger then Aquila and their container was right next to ours. Hojo had to convert an actual cave into one large mako container just to house them. Some quirk in their development made them resistant to all types of drugs. When Hojo tried to put them to sleep to examine them, they pretended they were knocked out. As soon as Hojo drained the mako and opened the door, they broke through the container, and away they flew. The dragons escaped as well. They are extremely intelligent, even more so then any of us, I'm afraid. Hojo had implanted something inside the dragons, because he believed they would be the hardest to control, and he was right. They knew of this implant, and after it had been wired to them, they each took turns, and got the chip out of their brains. When Hojo opened the door, the lead dragon, Maya, rendered him unconscious, ate the assistants, and slid through the small doorway. We were the only ones who needed help getting out. We had no chips, but we didn't have the brute strength to break through the container, though we tried." Just then, Kadaj and Yazoo both let out a yell of triumph, and everyone looked at them, startled.

"It works!" Yazoo yelled, giving his brother a small smile. Cloud shoved Lupus's tail out of the way, and stood, walking over to Kadaj. Glaci rose to her feet, but Cloud stopped before he actually got to them, looking her over critically. She watched him, a look of question in her bright yellow eyes.

"You need to be bathed," Cloud said, and grinned slightly at the growl that passed those fearsome teeth. He shrugged, and walking over to her, he ran a hand down the spikes on her shoulder, coming away with a hand that was brown from dirt. He showed it to her, raising an eyebrow. She sat down, an air of embarrassment around her.

"Maybe we do need to bathe," she admitted, and her fellow wolves howled and yipped in agreement. Laughing softly, he went back to examining the saddle. The front of it attached to two different straps that crossed over her broad chest, connecting together between her front legs, before attaching to the band that was connected to the back of the saddles, and cinched together around her ribs. Since she was bigger then Lupus, and Kadaj was smaller then Cloud, the saddles looked almost ridiculous on her. Not to mention it was black leather, encased in shiny white scales. They would have to find a way to dull the dragon skin, so it wasn't so sparkly. There were straps on the actual saddle for their legs, so there would be no worries about them falling off when the wolves did their maneuvers. Cloud's saddle was exactly the same.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his eye, and he turned, seeing the doors to Icicle open. Alia, his second in command, came flying out of the village, and was running full tilt towards them. His stomach sank in trepidation at the sight, knowing that something had happened. He grinned slightly despite himself when she tried coming to a stop on the new snow, and her feet went out from under her. She ended up sliding the rest of the way, coming to a halt underneath the male wolf with pale, pale blue eyes that was standing to the right, and behind Glaci. As he looked directly down at her, his head tilted to the side as he examined the woman. She was holding herself completely still, but then burst out with startled laughter as the wolf began nuzzling her, licking her face at the same moment, his quilled tail waving back and forth. Cloud stopped, watching the exchange for a moment, before walking over to Alia and offering her his hand, which she took, pulling herself to her feet. She gazed at the wolf in amazement, her free hand reaching out and caressing the muzzle of the animal.

"I was just told," she said quietly, her voice soft in awe. "Can they really speak?"

"Yes, we can," the wolf said in a deep voice, which made her jump and then laugh again. This one, like the one with purple eyes, spoke more slowly then Glaci. They didn't have the severity of her hissing because of it. "Do you have a -" his words were cut off when screams sounded from the village.

**Our brethren come,** Draco and Aquila both said quietly. They all turned their faces to the sky, and watched in awe as dark shadows glided effortlessly through the clouds. Cloud could count three birds, but only two dragons. They all landed in a whoosh, sending Cloud and Alia back onto their asses with the force of the wind created. They all watched in awe as the dragons landed first, Glaci taking off at a run, leaping and twining herself around the leader's legs, yipping in happiness. As the eagles landed, the other wolfs took off as well, until their alien voices were all winding around each other, and the humans weren't able to make out any individual words.

"QUIET!" Sephiroth shouted, and the voices died down immediately. All the animals turned to look at him as he slid off Draco, landed lightly on his feet. Zach disentangled himself from Aquila's wings, and they both walked over to Cloud, helping him and Alia to their feet. The three Generals turned, walking slowly over to the newcomers, their three animals at their backs. Cloud stopped, fighting back down an instinctual fear at the size of the animals in front of him. The dragons were huge and, easily towering at least twenty feet into the air, each wing roughly the same size. Holy Gaia, Cloud thought, swallowing as one of the dragons leaned down, tilting its head to the side and giving him a look out of an eye the size of his sword, the color a hard, burnished yellow, with the same slit pupil as Draco and Sephiroth.

"We have been watching you for a long time now," it said, in a distinctly feminine voice. Her speech was cleaner then Glaci's, with no hissing accompaniment. "My name is Maya. We were loath to act, for we have gotten the same treatment that Glaci's pack has. We were once nine strong, but we are now down to only two, thanks to a combination of Hojo's forces and the humans on this continent. We were reluctant to show ourselves, until we observed Glaci coming back with you, early this morning. We endeavored to find Opal and the rest of her eagles, and decided to come back here, to offer you our services." She finished, and Cloud blinked, forcing his mouth to close. He glanced over at Sephiroth and Zach, who were staring at the animals with the same shocked, dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Cloud sat down on the snow covered ground, hard. He pressed his face into his hands, groaning softly. Great, he thought. Not only do we have to deal with the people accepting wolves bigger and scarier looking then Lupus, but now we have dragons and eagles as well. Can this day get any better? He knew he shouldn't have thought that, when a signal sounded in his mind, coming from Genesis. The man wanted to speak with him, and from the strength of the signal, it was urgent. He quickly got to his feet, and Sephiroth was the first one to touch him, gripping his shoulder tightly as Zach quickly followed suit. Knowing the animals were watching them all curiously, they brought their powers together, a mental image of Genesis and Denzel fighting for their life inside a pitch black cave swam into their minds.

----------

"_Damnit you three," Genesis said loudly, cutting down a creation as it jumped at him. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for almost a half hour!" _

"_What happened?" Sephiroth asked, quickly assessing their situation, and not liking it. The two of them were surrounded by Hojo's creations, an ever widening circle of carnage surrounding them._

"_Hojo decided he didn't need us anymore," Denzel said, taking the head of a monster that tried disemboweling him. The three Generals cursed, thinking quickly._

"_Can you get outside the crater?" Zach asked._

"_That's where were trying to"- he was interrupted as a slick, oily voice weaved through the cave, and all the creatures stopped, looking back towards the entrance of the cave._

"_Do you think you two can get away from me?" Hojo asked, which made Denzel and Genesis growl softly. Their wings appeared, and without waiting for any more words from Hojo, they took flight. Through their eyes, the three men knew that they were going for the hole that showed blue sky at the top of the cave. Hojo's laughter chased them out, but by the time they both crawled through the hole, they were breathless and sore. Denzel had white spots blinking at the edge of his vision, and so did Genesis. Neither were used to being up so high, where there wasn't a lot of oxygen. _

"_We'll be fine now, don't worry," Genesis said, standing in a small cave they had found, not two feet below the hole they had crawled out of. The white spots were crowding into his vision, and Denzel was leaning against the wall, gasping for breath. Genesis, though he too was gasping, leaned over the edge, and he stopped breathing entirely at the sight that greeted him. All around the crater, was nothing but a black sea of moving bodies. _

"_Oh fuck, there must be at least a million of them," he muttered, but then the connection broke, as he finally passed out, beginning to fall down the side of the crater. Denzel cried out, trying to grasp something of the man before he fell completely, but as he made a leaping dive, he passed out as well._

_----------_

"Genesis!" Sephiroth said loudly, as they were thrown back into their own minds. Without another word, the three Generals flew to their animals, pulling themselves into their seats and quickly tying themselves there.

"This Genesis," Maya said, lowering her head to look at Cloud, as he tied his legs to the saddle. He stopped, and looked back at her, a frown on his face.

"What about Genesis?" he asked, and his voice was cold. She merely blinked, watching him for a moment before speaking again.

"He was the one that help to free Glaci and her pack, correct?" Cloud nodded briskly, and she turned to the eagles, speaking to them in their alien language. Cloud looked around, and sighed. Then he did something that not even Sephiroth or Zach knew about. He contacted Vincent and Marlene mentally.

----------

"_Cloud?" Marlene asked, from where her and Vincent were seated at a table with Rufus and Yuffie, a map of the northern continent spread out in front of them. Vincent only frowned when he felt the "Demon General's" mind on his. It was a nickname given to Cloud from the Wutai troops, when they first saw the fire the three Generals controlled. _

"_Denzel and Genesis used up their hospitality in the crater," Cloud said without hesitation, continuing to strap himself in. "Hojo had them attacked, so now their on the run. We have some new allies," he said, and without asking, he gave them the information of the new additions to their military force. Marlene and Vincent only blinked once, accepting this without comment. "Were going to go get Denzel and Genesis. I want to two of you to come immediately to Icicle, until we return."_

"_Yazoo and Kadaj are going with you?" Vincent asked, and Cloud nodded. Without hesitation, they both rose, bowed to a thoroughly confused Rufus and Yuffie, and walked out the door. Knowing that they would be here soon, Cloud closed the connection._

_----------_

"We will fight with you," Maya said, making Cloud look up in surprise. "This Denzel and Genesis were the ones that freed my wolf siblings. It is the least we can do." Cloud shut his mouth, and looked to the other two Generals. They both shook their heads, having no objection. Cloud looked back to the black dragon, and narrowed his eyes.

"This is a stealth mission," he said, turning to address all the animals gathered. "Unless we must, we are not to engage the enemy. I will not have your lives risked unnecessarily. Do you understand?" His voice was that of a General, and one used to having his command obeyed. All the animals stood straight, their heads held proudly.

"Yes Sir!" they all said in unison, making Cloud smile slightly. He looked at Sephiroth as he and Draco walked up on his right side, and then over at Zach and Aquila, who carefully walked up on his left. He sighed, and looked towards the north, where the valley stretched, and the crater awaited them.

"Alia," Sephiroth said quietly, and the woman ran up to them, her wolf behind her. She saluted as she stopped.

"Yes Sir?"

"We need you to stay here, wait for Vincent and Marlene. They will be arriving soon to take our place," Sephiroth said, and both he and Zach gave Cloud sly looks. Cloud couldn't help but gape slightly. He thought that he had been able to keep the fact that he could talk to anyone connected to them private, but he guessed not. Alia saluted again, and both she and the wolf ran to the gates, followed by the rest of the pack. Maya and Opal discussed something briefly, and the two eagles, and one dragon walked over to where Alia was pounding on the door, shouting at the people inside.

Growling, Cloud eased the doors open until he and Lupus were coated in blue flame. They calmly walked over to the door, and looked up at the scared white faces above him. Sephiroth and Zach also came to his side, until all three were glaring at the men above, each coated in fire.

"I vouch for these creatures," Cloud said softly, but he knew the men heard him when they twitched, looking at the animals that were arranged in front of the door. "They are intelligent as us, if not more so. If you do not let them in, feed them, and wash them, I will be forced to kill you, and anyone else that disobeys my orders. Do you understand soldier?" Finally one man, a veteran by the graying hair, and gruff no-nonsense voice, called down to them.

"It will be done as you command, General Strife. Open the gates!" The three Generals watched in silence as the gates opened, and the animals walked warily in. Except for Alia and her wolf. The two of them were lively talking back and forth, something that sent shock waves over the villagers gathered. The dragon was able to slither its way through the door, and the two eagles had to crouch almost to the ground to make it through. It would have been quite comical if the Generals didn't have so much on their minds. The doors shut, and the three turned to the group behind them. Kadaj was idly sharpening his blade, but his eyes were only on Cloud. Yazoo was making sure that he had enough bullets, which were placed in pouches attached to the saddle. They were all watching him in silence, and he grinned slightly.

"Are we ready?" he asked, and every being nodded their heads. "Then let's go. We don't have much night left, so we stick to the top of the valley. There are usually scouts up there, but that's it. Once we get closer to the crater, they become more numerous. Remember, this is a stealth mission. Retrieve Genesis and Denzel. Maya, Opal, I want you to go with Sephiroth and Zach. Try to find the spot where the two are. Kadaj, Yazoo, you will stay with me. Understood? We will converge at dawn." Everyone nodded, and they turned as one, the dragons and eagles taking to the sky, as the three wolves quickly became blurs across the snow.

----------

"Marlene, wait!" Yuffie shouted, as she came barreling out of the tavern they were using as their headquarters. Marlene turned, twitching her wings in slight annoyance. Even though Rufus had calmed the princess down quite a bit, she was still hyper and always butting into other peoples business. Marlene sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, Yuffie and Rufus both had a right to know what was going on. Rufus did have control of the entire army, though that was in debate. The three Generals held more respect and loyalty then Rufus ever could hope to. Yuffie was the leader of the Wutai troops, and they made up almost half their fighting forces.

"Yuffie, we have to get to Icicle as quickly as we can," Marlene said, rubbing an oiled cloth over the blades of her Glaive, before separating them, and sliding them into their sheaths. Vincent was next to her, putting at least three cases of bullets into the pack he was going to wear. Icicle had bullets, but Vincent's gun took special ones, that he made himself.

"Why?" Yuffie asked, but her voice was a quiet command, and Marlene winced. Vincent glanced over, giving her a small smirk, before he wandered away. Marlene scowled at his retreating form, before turning back to the ninja behind her.

"Denzel and Genesis have used up their welcome at the crater," she said, and Yuffie's eyes narrowed. Marlene had to grin as she saw the wheels turning. This was what made Yuffie the perfect Hiala, the Wutai word for General. She could switch from friend to General in a heartbeat.

"So you're going to Icicle, because Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach are going after Denzel and Genesis," she said, her eyes narrowing more as Marlene nodded. "What about Yazoo and Kadaj? Aren't they supposed to take command when the three Generals leave?"

"They're going too," Marlene said, stretching out her wings and flapping them slowly, stretching the muscles. She twisted and turned her body, making sure the black jeans and black, zip up sweater vest that was standard for ShinRa SOLDIER's didn't mess with her movements. She stopped and stared off into the distance a second, before turning back to Yuffie, wondering why she was so quiet.

"Yuffie," Marlene said softly, saddened by the look of almost panicked desperation in her amber eyes. Yuffie quickly turned away, taking a deep breath as she collected herself.

"I don't think we're going to win Marlene," she said quietly, and Marlene couldn't find any words. She could lie, and tell Yuffie that they were going to win, but she believed that they were going to lose too. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, when an alarm rang out over the village. Marlene immediately took flight, seeing Vincent do the same, as Yuffie and Rufus ran fast for the wall that surrounded the town.

Marlene almost fell from the sky as she saw what the alarm was for. Hojo's creations were coming fast from overland, and more of them crowded in boats, making for the distant shore, where Kalm and Midgar resided. Cursing, Marlene angled her wings for speed, and shot down, landing with a gust of air next to Rufus and Yuffie, where they were looking back and forth between the two gatherings of beasts. Yuffie was already talking into her phone to Cid, the Commander of the air forces, giving him the coordinates of the beasts in the water, and within a few moments of the end of the call, the sound of engines roaring to life spread across the water.

When they had first stationed the air forces here, by Bone Village, within a fortnight, three of the ships had been damaged beyond repair by the creations. So they had moved the ships across the strait, and now they were stationed outside Kalm. Cid had personally picked the ships and crews, and they had yet to lose another ship since Cloud had forced him to take command.

"Shit, Yuffie, this was a fucking set-up," Marlene said, growling out the words in her anger. "Hojo must have found out about Denzel and Genesis, and he knew that we wouldn't let them rot up there. He knew we would go get them. Fuck! We have to get to Icicle, now." She turned to Vincent who nodded, and they each spread their wings, taking flight. What they saw, they didn't like. The village was surrounded on three sides, the other facing towards the sea. The human corpses that Hojo had managed to take from the battlefield were shuffling to the wall, carrying huge ramps, so the creations could scramble up them. Even though they were being shot at, it was hard to kill something that was already dead, so they felt no pain.

Marlene glanced over at Vincent, catching his eye. She saw his eyes clouded with painful acceptance, as he looked back down to the zombies. Below them, reanimated somehow by Hojo, were soldiers that they had fought with. They had learned very quickly to bring the dead bodies back with them, or the people they had laughed with, eaten dinner with, would come back to try and kill them. Marlene closed her eyes for a moment as she remembered the first time the zombies had traveled onto the battlefield.

----------

"_What the fuck are those?" Yuffie asked, making Marlene turn away from the map. She looked over the wall, and her jaw dropped. She had known that Hojo had been taking the corpses from the battlefield, and she had assumed it was the experiment with them. Well, she was completely right, and she wished to Gaia she wasn't. Creeping out from the fog that surrounded them, were the reanimated corpses of those fallen comrades. _

"_Fuck, not this," Marlene whispered like a prayer. Behind the corpses were the creations, steadily following the zombies as they carried ramps towards the wall. Ramps that were going to be used so the creations could get over the wall. Yuffie had already given the command, and the troops stationed on the wall were throwing hand size bombs, which contained oil, and burst into flame on contact, sending oil, and fire spraying as far as it could. When the first corpse caught fire, Marlene bit her bottom lip so hard that it bled. It sounded exactly like a human when it screamed, and she knew that the zombies retained enough of their soul to realize what was happening. Then the first ramp appeared over the edge of the wall, and she didn't have time to think. _

----------

That day sucked, Marlene thought, as she and Vincent raced over the frozen land, eyes slit against the dawn light. She thought about contacting Cloud and the rest, but decided against it while she was still in the air.

Coming up on Icicle, Marlene and Vincent pulled back in shock, hovering in the air. A huge dragon, and it looked like four large wolves, were standing in front of the door, their fearsome claws and teeth doing quite a bit of damage to those creations that tried attacking them. It was as they feared. The number of creations here outnumbered the ones at Bone by thousands.

As the dragon let out a roar of pain, its hindquarters cut open by one of the creations, Vincent and Marlene started flying again. As they got near the wall, Vincent took a deep breath, and in a moment, he was in the form of Chaos. They landed right in front of the animals that were protecting the wall, and Marlene flicked her wings out of existence. She had learned that it wasn't a good idea to have them out while fighting. They were delicate, and easily damaged.

Unsheathing her two blades, she reattached them, glancing over and smiling grimly as Chaos ripped the throats out of two creations. The ones around her were watching her warily, so she just waited, balancing herself. Just then, a loud whistle sounded over the village, and the creations looked up, listening. As it ended, they all growled, and turning as one, they ran towards the valley, and its shelter of trees. Everyone watched them go, bodies still thrumming with the adrenaline rush, until the last one vanished into the trees. For the animals and two warriors, they could easily see the multitude of glowing yellow eyes peering out from the underbrush. They were gone for now, which was all that mattered.

Vincent slipped back into his normal form, wincing as he felt the horns that were hidden in his hair. He turned as the large wooden doors opened behind him, and Alia, Cloud's SiC, but truthfully all the General's SiC, came walking towards them. Marlene stepped up to his side, watching with amusement as a pale-eyed wolf walked up to her, asking something quietly. Alia shook her head, and finally came to stand in front of Vincent and Marlene, grim amusement shining in her eyes.

"Welcome to Icicle, home of the Planets weirdest army," she said, and Vincent shook his head slightly, amused. Weird. Yea, that was one way to put it.


	4. Siege

"Well shit," Zach cursed softly, from his perch on Aquila's back. Opal and Maya had long since landed, since their black coloring could easily be seen against the blue sky. Sephiroth and Draco had also landed, catching up with Cloud and the rest right after dawn. Zach had stayed in the air, since he and Aquila were almost perfectly camouflaged against the sky. Why wasn't Draco and Sephiroth with them? Draco sparkled in the sun. No kidding. His scales actually sparkled. So the two had stayed out, circling the crater in an attempt to find Denzel and Genesis. So far, they had no luck. This place had so many small caves and openings that it was like trying to find a needle in a stack of needles.

Yawning, he pulled his thick coat tighter around him, rubbing his frozen nose. This high in the air, the already freezing air became like a wall of ice that constantly buffeted him. He was lucky though. Unlike Denzel and Genesis, he was used to being up this high. Since Aquila was pretty much useless on the ground, he and the eagle were almost always in the air, flying high and relaying the positions of the creations to those below him. They were more adept at breathing in the lack of oxygen. It also helped that he had a small can of pure oxygen in the pack attached to his saddle, for when the altitude became too much. He stiffened slightly when Cloud brushed his mind, before relaxing and allowing his fellow Generals into his mind.

"_Anything?"_ Cloud asked, and Zach sighed, shaking his head.

"We've found so many caves and places where they could have come out, it's ridiculous," Zach said, peeved. "Something is bothering me though. Where are all the creations Genesis saw? I can't find them." He felt worry from Cloud, and frowned.

"_What do you mean, you can't find them?"_ Sephiroth asked, and Zach scowled.

"Exactly what I said, I can't find them. There aren't that many creations down around the crater. Wait…" Zach had seen something, and with a quick thought to Aquila, they flew down in a lazy spiral, as Zach narrowed his eyes, watching the small group of creations below him_. _He caught a flash of black and white, and two male screams reached his ears. Throwing the doors open wider, he used the power to enhance his eyes, which made them burn. Peering down below him, he cursed softly, seeing a head of shock white hair, and one the color of pitch black.

"I found Denzel and Genesis," he said grimly. "I'm going to get them."

"_Zach no!"_ Cloud screamed, but Zach ignored him, as he drew on the power of Aquila, their bodies bursting into fire as they plummeted from the sky.

"_Aquila!" _Zach shouted in the birds mind.

**What? **He said absentmindedly, his entire being concentrating on the feel of the wind, adjusting his feathers as they got closer to the ground.

"_Are you going to be able to carry three of us?" _Zach asked, his hand around his new black sword, but waiting to draw it until the wind wasn't so harsh.

**Yes,** the bird said simply. Trusting in his companions' judgment, Zach watched with amusement as the creations scattered as a ton of flaming bird and man came hurtling out of the sky. Catching only a brief glance of Denzel and Genesis as Aquila picked them up in his claws, the man couldn't be sure, but it looked like they had been nibbled on. He drew his sword as Aquila started having trouble gaining altitude, the creations regrouping very quickly, coming at them with teeth bared.

Fuck this, Zach thought, and smashed the doors open, feeling surprise from Cloud and Sephiroth. The flames burned even brighter, and closing his eyes, Zach summoned all the control that Angeal had beat into him, and pushed the power out. He opened his eyes in time to see the creations shooting backwards, as red edged blue flame pulsed away from him and Aquila.

Finally gaining height, Zach closed his eyes, exhaustion eating at him as the fire died away, the doors slowly shutting. He didn't understand how Cloud was able to use the power so easily, and still be able to walk afterwards. Every time he used it, it left him in need of serious sleep.

"_You are such an idiot,"_ Cloud growled in his mind. Zach smirked, as the two continued to climb. Soon the creations below were only black dots, and they were off back to Icicle.

"It worked didn't it?" Zach said out loud, and he heard a soft chuckle from the bird underneath him.

**Yes, it worked, but using that much power was not meant for you. As you can tell,** Aquila said. Zach sighed, and rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes tightly shut.

"Yeah yeah, I know," he muttered. "Cloud, Seph, meet us at Icicle, alright?" He felt confirmation in his mind, but shock eradicated everything as they flew over the valley, Icicle coming into their sights. The wing beats underneath him faltered, as the shock he was feeling was echoed.

"Hey Cloud, Seph?" he asked, though his throat was dry.

"_Yes?"_ Sephiroth replied, and Zach caught a glimpse of them swinging themselves onto the animals.

"Um, can either Draco, Opal, or Maya fly the wingless in?" He felt their confusion, and opened the doors wider, so they got a clear picture of what he was seeing. Numb disbelief filtered through, and Zach had to smirk again. It wasn't often you got to feel either Cloud or Sephiroth in complete shock. Hojo's creations had Icicle completely surrounded, and from the looks of it, almost all the ones Genesis had seen were here.

----------

Vincent resisted rubbing his head, the ache that was pounding behind them becoming more and more pronounced as this meeting went on. They had a phone set up on speaker, and Yuffie, Rufus, and Cid were on the other line. A map was spread out between Marlene, him, and Reno and Rude. Little yellow dots showed where the creations were, and so far, they seemed to be concentrated around Icicle and Bone. Cid had managed to kill the ones that were in the boat, but they had a bigger problem. Hojo was no longer the only one who controlled the Creation Army. The clones that had joined their side were merely the prototypes. The army now had other clones, which were easily controlled by Hojo. It seemed the damn scientist had learned his lesson when he had tried for exact copies of Lupus, Draco, and Aquila. These new ones were a lot uglier, and smaller, but they still had a human level of intelligence, though they were controlled by Hojo. They had already given terms, something that no one was willing to do. Hojo wanted Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach. Could they say hell no?

"Aquila and Zach are flying in," Alia said, closing her phone. She must have received a text from the wall patrol. "He said Aquila was carrying two bodies in his claws." Her eyes were worried, but her voice was firm. She was a perfect example of the change this war had wrought. When she had first joined, as nothing but a grunt, her strategic planning had quickly let her rise in the ranks, till Cloud couldn't ignore the power of her mind. It helped that she was a natural when it came to the two short swords that crossed over her back. Her first battle, she had cried, her eyes dark and numb. Now, she kept her calm no matter what the situation.

"Did the patrol say whether Cloud or Sephiroth was with him?" Vincent asked, eyes narrowed. It wasn't like Zach to come in by himself. Alia shook her head, as they all stood, walking out of the room attached to the barn.

"No, he didn't," she said quietly, though her eyes were worried. She was thinking the same thing he was. They always came back together.

The group exited into the noon light, squinting their eyes against the glare from the new snow. Vincent hated this cold weather. He would much rather be down where it was hot and humid, but he surmised that most of these people would want to be. They had only made it halfway towards the wall, when a shriek sounded over the village. They all turned their eyes skyward, as Aquila and Zach came flying in fast, and Vincent narrowed his eyes as he saw what looked like arrows stuck in the birds wings. His white feathers were covered in blood in a couple places, and he indeed did have a person in each claw.

As they landed, Zach started falling off the bird, as they all raced to the pair. Reno and Rude each grabbed what they now knew were Denzel and Genesis, each of them completely covered in blood, their wings shredded and bloody on their backs. Vincent went to Zach, catching him as he fell out of the saddle, and there was indeed arrows puncturing his shoulders, and one in his right thigh.

Aquila gave a big huff, his fellow animals rushing over as the bird collapsed, so he fell on a soft mound of bodies. Vincent lifted Zach easily in his arms, watching as the dragon slid underneath Aquila, lifting him with the help of the wolves. They all slowly started walking towards the barn, with Marlene following them. She knew the most about the animals, plus she had a natural ability to be able to heal almost anything. Turning towards a large building next to the tavern, that had been converted into the resident hospital, Vincent quickly strode over to it, and inside, glancing around and seeing that most of the doctors and nurses were huddled around the two beds that held Genesis and Denzel. He put Zach on a bed, and since the doctors were occupied with the other two, who needed their attention more then Zach, he poked and prodded, making sure that none of the arrows had hit anything vital. Seeing that they hadn't, and that Zach was quickly waking up, with swift movement, he removed the arrows. Reaching over, he grasped a heal materia that was on the tray next to the bed, and pressed it to Zach chest. It flared green for a moment, before disappearing into his body. There must have been more internal damage then he thought, because the wounds from the arrows only barely closed. He leaned back with a soft sigh as Zach opened his eyes, looking around groggily.

"Denzel and Genesis?" he asked quietly, and Vincent indicated the other two beds with a nod of his head. Relief flooded his violet eyes as he relaxed onto the bed. In the next instant, he bolted upright, a wince the only indication he was in pain. He grabbed Vincent's arm, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Cloud, Kadaj, and Yazoo aren't going to be able to get through," he said, and Vincent narrowed his eyes. This day just kept getting better and better.

Zach hopped off the table, staggering slightly. Vincent grasped his arm, and the General just looked at him, a look of utter concentration on his face.

"I have to get out there, clear a path," Zach said, slowly sliding his sword out, hefting it.

"You need time to heal," Vincent said quietly, though he knew his words had no effect. He followed Zach out of the building, checking to make sure his gun was fully loaded. As they neared the wall, the other wolves, and the dragon seemed to appear out of nowhere, Alia striding at the side of her wolf. Zach narrowed his eyes, and opened his mouth, but Alia cut him off.

"We will get them through, whatever it takes," she said quietly, her two swords already unsheathed. It was then that Vincent noticed the dragon had crude leather armor on its body, and the wound it had sustained earlier that morning had been stitched. Zach sighed, and looked at the door, before looking up.

Sephiroth, Draco, Opal, and Maya were flying over the wall, and landed heavily. Zach took off towards them, Vincent close behind.

----------

"Their still out there, hidden in the trees," Sephiroth said, and although worry and concern were eating at him, his voice and face were stoic. It would have been suicide for them to try to force their way through the creations outside the wall, so Sephiroth and Draco had convinced them to stay put, until they could get to Icicle, and possible reinforcements. As much as he hated to admit it, Denzel and Genesis were far from his mind. The only thing he could concentrate on, was getting his lover back to him. He had lost him for three years, he wasn't about to lose him again. With that thought in his mind, anger started eating him, until he could no longer hear what was being said around him. White noise filled his ears, and his hands clenched around the edge of the table, his teeth grinding together. He slowly raised his eyes, until he met a pair of violet ones, that held the same anger.

Damn Hojo for this. Fuck Jenova for bringing this shit to this Planet. The anger grew, until his upper lip peeled back, showing a tiny bit of teeth. He and Zach stared into each other's eyes, everyone else in the room ignored. The wood cracked underneath his hands, and he hardly felt the splinters that sunk deep into his palm.

Turning on his heel, he strode out of the meeting place, his body tense with rage. Zach was walking at his side, and both of their swords were out, clenched in white knuckled grips.

"_We're coming to get you," _Sephiroth told Cloud, and he felt panic from the other man.

"_You'll be killed," _Cloud said, but Sephiroth ignored him, letting him feel the anger that needed an outlet inside of him. They reached the large wooden door, and leaped nimbly to the top of the wall. He felt a grudging acceptance from Cloud, and he staggered as the man threw the doors open, making the two men on the wall burst into flame, adrenaline racing through their veins.

"_We'll come from this side," _Cloud said, and Sephiroth nodded. He looked up, and smiled grimly as Draco, pale and on fire, swept over them, landing right in the middle of the creations, making a circle easily with a quick swipe of his tail.

"_Lets dance my love," _he sent to Cloud, and heard wild laughter echoing over the snow-covered field in front of them, as Cloud and the others came streaming out of the trees, Cloud running at Lupus's side, and Kadaj and Yazoo wielding their weapons from the wolves backs.

Letting his own laughter free, he jumped from the wall, catching those underneath him by surprise, since all their attention was focused on the three wolves and men coming at them from the other side. Cutting down a swath of them easily, he raced on, Zach at his side, until they reached Draco, who was sporting cut and tears to his sensitive wings. Howls sounded at their backs, and with savage growls the rest of the pack joined them, cutting through the creations that surrounded them.

It wasn't long before they had cut a path through the creations, meeting a wildly grinning Cloud near the middle. Everyone, including all the animals, were covered in sticky black blood, and none of them cared, the thrill of the kill singing in their veins. No matter how much good they did for the Planet, they were killers, bred for war, and seeing the sadistic grins on everyone's faces only confirmed that.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes as the creations circled around them, staying at a good distance from the dragon's fearsome claws and teeth.

**Climb on,** Draco said, and Sephiroth looked at him with a raised eyebrow, opening his mouth to say that it probably wasn't a good idea.

**We move faster then you,** Lupus said next, and Sephiroth's jaw snapped shut. Fine. Cloud climbed onto Lupus, and he and Zach climbed onto Draco, their black swords still bared. Alia, Yazoo, and Kadaj were still on their mounts, so as they turned back towards the village, one wolf like creature, with feathered wings stepped forward.

"If your Generals come with us, no more blood has to be shed," it said, and laughter rang out across the plains. It sent chills down Sephiroth's spine, the laughter having an almost insane, manic glee in it. He turned as Cloud and Lupus strode next to them, and then stopped ten feet in front of wolf thing. Sephiroth felt raging lust burn through him at the sight. Cloud's eyes were black, his hair waving in the wind from his own power. His lips were peeled back from his teeth in a feral grin, matching the one that Lupus had. He and the wolf moved in perfect accord, like they were one being, and with the new black sword, and completely black outfit, he looked like a fallen angel. Swallowing, Sephiroth forced his raging hormones down as much as he could, and blinked as Aquila brushed against his mind.

Looking up, the large white, burning eagle landed next to Cloud, and Zach immediately dismounted, before running to his charge, and climbing on his very own saddle, situated between Aquila's wings. Walking majestically to Cloud's left side, the three faced the wolf creation with identical sharp edged grins. It made the poor creature take a couple steps back, uncertainty clear in its yellow eyes.

"I am Death," Cloud said quietly, but his voice carried. He advanced on the wolf, Sephiroth and Zach keeping pace with him, the fire coating them growing brighter as their anger grew, until the three were enveloped in one large fireball, their separate colors twining around each other. "I give myself to no one unwillingly." His grin widened, as clouds began rapidly forming over them, thunder rumbling across the plain. "Tell your creator that if he wants any of us back, he can come and tell me himself." The three raised their weapons at the same moment, and lightning began to shoot down from the clouds, and each creature they struck were burned to a crisp. The first being was the winged wolf that spoke. Lowering their weapons, the fire dimmed slightly, and the clouds began to break up, sending rays of sunshine sparkling over the snow. Controlling the weather like that was Sephiroth's special ability, and Cloud had borrowed it for a minute to prove his point. They each had a special ability, but only Cloud was able to use all three, and even though he did, it left them all exhausted afterwards.

"You will let us through," Cloud said in a steely voice, advancing through the ranks of creations, their allies grouped tightly behind them. The creations moved backwards, but not without much snarling and almost biting. Whenever one came to close, it was easily dispatched with either sword, claws, or teeth. None of them tried to attack, and everyone was grateful for that. Though their rigid bodies and stoic faces were no indication, they were exhausted. Sephiroth didn't think any of them had slept in at least two weeks. He knew he hadn't, and neither had Zach. He very much doubted that Cloud had, worried as the blond was when he and Zach had been out retaking the pass.

As soon as they were through the doors and into Icicle, the three men slumped in their seats, the tiredness finally reflecting in their eyes and bodies as the fire died down to almost nothing. Sephiroth was concerned about that, since the doors weren't completely shut between their minds, power still leaking through. Usually when Cloud shut the power down, it went down completely. No leaking. He felt the firm control Cloud still had though, and let it go, assuming that the blond needed the close mental contact. Sometimes they did, so they would keep the doors open a little, like now. Sliding off their mounts, the three Generals, two silver haired teens, and their SiC gathered as the animals walked away to get clean, and eat.

"I'm checking on Denzel and Genesis, getting food, a shower, and then sleep," Kadaj said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Yazoo and Alia nodded in agreement, and the three of them wandered off towards the once school, now mess hall, located at the other side of town. Sephiroth smiled slightly, watching them go. They were all safe, and that included Genesis and Denzel. He turned back to Cloud, and his eyes widened. Cloud was standing there, his face deathly pale as he stared between Zach and Sephiroth. His wide blue eyes were still darker then normal, and glassy from a face that was to skinny, almost anorexic. Looking at the body that went with the face, Sephiroth was shocked. Cloud's clothing hung off him, and he didn't remember his body being that skinny when they were sleeping the day before, after the weapons fiasco.

"Cloud?" Sephiroth said quietly, walking over to his lover and resting his hands on the upper arms. Cloud looked up slowly, and blinked a couple times.

"Seph?" was said so softly, that even with enhanced hearing, the green-eyed man had trouble hearing. "I just need sleep, and food. I'll be alright." He narrowed his eyes, looking down at the man in his arms.

"Then why can't you turn the power off?" Sephiroth asked, his voice harsher then he intended. Cloud winced and looked down, which gave him the chance to look over at Zach, a concerned look passing between green and violet.

"It's screaming at me," Cloud said quietly, and Sephiroth blinked, looking into the perfectly blue eyes that stared up at him, desperation, and pain glittering weirdly in them.

"What is?" Zach asked quietly, coming to stand next to them. Cloud turned his head slightly so he could look at Zach, and mumbled a couple words before collapsing into Sephiroth's arms. He stared down at the blond, not entirely sure he had heard correctly. He looked at Zach, frowning.

"Did he just say the Planet was screaming at him?" Sephiroth asked, and Zach nodded, his face set in a grim frown.

"That's what I thought," Sephiroth muttered to himself.


	5. I Am Death

**We finally have the threesome between the Generals. So for those of you who were wondering when it was going to happen, here ya go! Um, but don't kill me when you read the first, and last part. :D**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_He knew it was a dream, but even admitting it to himself didn't change it. He was staring up at a huge black creature, with glowing red eyes. No one was by his side, which he found slightly off, but not enough to shake himself awake. He was calm, because he knew what had to happen. He rushed the Weapon, knowing that he was going to die, taking it down. I am Death, he thought. For my enemies, and myself._

_----------_

Cloud sat bolt upright in bed, his chest heaving, and sweat pouring down his body. He sensed movement out of the corner of his eye, and looked over to see Lupus raise his massive head, pinning him to the bed with a stern blue eye.

**You need to rest more,** the wolf said, and Cloud winced, swinging his legs over the bed. He looked around, noticing that they had the entire barn to themselves.

_Where is everyone? _He asked, to tired to even speak aloud.

**Sephiroth and Zach are meeting with everyone else, and the animals are with them.** Lupus scooted closer, until he butted his nose against Clouds skinny chest, almost knocking him backwards against the wall. **Is what they said true? **Lupus's voice was quiet, but Cloud could feel the underlying emotions. Disbelief, anger, fear. They were all mixed together into that soft voice. He didn't need to ask what Lupus meant. Cloud winced and closed his eyes, plowing his hands into his hair as he held his head. He refused to cry over this, since he knew it would come no matter what he did.

_Yes, _he said simply. His thoughts ran over each other, concluding in a headache that made his entire body hurt. Taking a deep breath, he shoved all thought out of his head, until there was nothing but a static blackness echoing in his mind. Standing, he blinked as he realized he was completely naked. Looking down at his own body, his delicate face frowned. Each muscle was strictly defined, and he could count each of his own ribs. His hipbones protruded violently, and even though he had always been small, this was ridiculous. Shrugging to himself, he walked over to a dresser they had at the end of the bed, and pulled out a black, long sleeved turtleneck, sliding it on. Next came plain black jeans, which he added his black combat boots to. Next was the sheath for his sword, and after he had finished buckling it to his body, he glanced over to the full-length mirror, smiling grimly.

His hair was still bright blonde, sticking up in the gravity defying spikes as they always had. His eyes were still the same bright blue, his skin still milk and honey. His eyes had dark circles under them, and they seemed sunk into a face that was to thin to be healthy. He shrugged again, and turned away. He had more important things on his mind then his health. Like what to do about the creations that were camped around their outpost, and his own death. He debated for a moment as he walked towards the door, making a small detour to pick up his sword, on whether to call Sephiroth and Zach to help with the problem surrounding their town. Sliding the sword into the sheath, he slid the door open, and leaned against it for a moment, looking out into the darkness.

**I will not let you die,** Lupus said as he sat next to him, both pairs of blue eyes staring into the darkness, and not at each other. Cloud smiled slightly, crossing his arms over his chest.

_I am Death, am I not? _Cloud countered, only a slight tinge of bitterness flavoring his mental words. Lupus huffed, and finally turned to look at him.

**I do not care what the Planet, or the Cetra say. While I am with you, you will not die. **Cloud turned his head at the vehement words, looking into the wolfs eyes.

"I have no choice, is that not what they said?" Cloud said quietly, amusement coloring his words. Lupus growled softly, and turned his massive head back to look at the lights of the town.

**I don't care what they said. You have something to live for, so why would you accept this?** Cloud chuckled softly, and took the couple steps over to lay his hand on Lupus's back, running his fingers through the soft, thick fur. He couldn't explain the calmness when he thought about the sacrifice that was being demanded on him. He had known, from the first battle, that his end would be on the field. He had also known, no matter how deeply he loved his fellow Generals, and cared for his friends, that he would die alone. He had always been alone, except for that brief time he was truly a 1st, alongside his lover and brother. The time had been too swift, and even now, two years after they had come back, he was still alone. He could wield enormous amounts of power; power that not even Sephiroth, the Great General could handle. He sighed, but tried to explain his calm to the wolf. His destiny was to die alone, and even though he knew Lupus would be by his side, the wolf was an extension of himself. It wasn't quite the same as having a completely different person standing by his side.

"If I am to die to save this Planet and its people from complete destruction, then that is what I will do. It will be a battle of my choosing though. I will not sacrifice myself needlessly," Cloud said, looking back to the town. He took his hand back, and with Lupus at his side, the two of them made it to the wall with no one the wiser. They both leaped to the top when the guards passed, leaving them both to look over the awaiting army in silence.

**I will be with you to the end, my brother,** Lupus commented quietly. Cloud said nothing in return, just continued to look over the restless creations underneath them.

"It will be easier for them if I leave," Cloud said under his breath, but he knew that the wolf heard. Lupus turned his massive head to the side, giving Cloud another stern look, before it softened in understanding.

**They will hate us for it, if we do,** he commented, and Cloud nodded, his face set in grim lines.

"Yes, they will," he said simply, his decision made. He remembered the last time he had left, when he made the decision to try to get Denzel and Genesis back by himself. It had been forcefully reminded to him that all three were needed. Now, knowing that he was going to die anyway in the Final Battle, made things so much clearer. If he could get to Hojo before the scientist finished the Weapon and kill him, there would be no more creations, no more war. He didn't have to worry about collecting two people and bringing them back. Truthfully, he wasn't expecting to come back.

His heart ached when he thought about it. He would be leaving the two people he cared about most in this world, the two who had come back from the dead to be with him, to help him. They hadn't come back to fight in a war not of their making. This wasn't fair to them, and it wasn't fair to the rest of the people on this Planet. He remembered what Sephiroth told him, that cold night when both he and Lupus had almost lost it, seeing the dead and dying, and knowing they could do nothing to stop it. _You must be a leader to those you have left, and that means pushing through the pain, and not giving into it, _the silky voice of his lover eased though his mind. His resolve hardened as he looked back slowly to Lupus, only to find the wolf watching him with sad, but determined eyes. He would push through this pain, and do what a true leader did. Sacrificing himself to save untold numbers of lives.

**When do we go?** He asked, and Cloud shrugged. An unholy light came into his eye, as he thought of something he really wanted to do before he left.

----------

Zach narrowed his eyes as he and Sephiroth walked into the barn, neither of them seeing Cloud, or Lupus. Then he smiled as he caught sight of light flickering in the loft, a place where Cloud often went when he wanted alone time. He looked to Sephiroth, and the silver haired man motioned for him to go up the ladder first. He ascended, and when he got to the top and looked towards the source of the light, his heart skipped a beat and his mouth went dry with desire.

Cloud was sitting against the far wall, one knee drawn up to his chest and the other tucked underneath him. Dressed all in black, with the flickering candlelight making his hair gleam like liquid gold, it was his eyes that truly caught him. They were smoldering pools of lust, as they captured his violet ones. A small, feral smile graced those smooth lips as Cloud's eyes wandered down, and then back up, something flickering in those depths that made Zach's legs tremble as he made himself begin walking.

As he neared the pool of light, Cloud rose with liquid grace, and moved so fast that Zach could only gasp out his name as he was slammed against the wall, his hands held effortlessly above his head. He stared into Cloud's blazing eyes, his mouth opening to ask a question before Cloud moved that last inch, pressing their heated bodies close together. Zach experimentally tried getting his hands back, and had to growl low in his throat as Cloud tightened his hands. He let himself go completely limp in submission, finally realizing exactly how strong the man in front of him was. They were all 1st Class, but he would never be in the league that both Sephiroth and Cloud were.

Cloud's hands moved so only one was holding his wrists, and the other trailed down his bare arm, lightly dragging short nails over the sensitive skin. Zach arched his back slightly, hissing softly. He refused to close his eyes, instead staring down into the blue ones defiantly. Cloud merely gave him a small smile, before his fingers found the zipper of his shirt, slowly taking it down. Zach had to look away at the feel of cold air lapping against his recently exposed skin, but what his eyes found were no better.

Sephiroth was standing against the railing, his arms crossed and the candlelight flickering over his sculpted body. What really mesmerized Zach, was the unbridled lust shining in those exotic cat eyes. He finally made a small whimper as Cloud lightly caressed his collarbone with his lips and teeth, and Sephiroth pushed away from the railing, walking over to them. He closed his eyes, but knew when the silver haired man joined them, because Cloud hissed quietly, his teeth biting into the soft flesh hard enough that Zach jerked.

He was suddenly thrown to the floor, and when he opened his eyes, he swallowed hard, wanting to adjust his painful erection but afraid to move. Cloud stood staring down at him, a small smirk on his face. Sephiroth was behind him, looking at Zach through a film of hair, his hands lazily roaming over Cloud's chest and stomach.

"Strip," Cloud commanded, his eyes glittering dangerously. Zach sat up slowly, before some of his personality returned. Giving the two men a small smirk, he stood slowly, carefully unhooking the straps of his harness. They slipped from his shoulders along with the shoulder guards and sword, making a metallic crash when they hit the floor. Neither man even twitched, their eyes only for his hands, which smoothed up his own stomach and chest, lightly grasping the edges of the already unzipped shirt, and sliding it down his arms. He shivered in anticipation, the smirk widening as two heavy lidded pairs of eyes roamed over the naked expanse of his upper body. He sat down on the floor with his back to the men, and bit his bottom lip as he stripped off his boots and socks, feeling their eyes wander over his scarred skin. He realized something, as his hands stilled on his socks. Whenever he slept with Tifa, he always had on a shirt, because she told him once that his scars reminded her of the things that he had been through, and she didn't want to think of those things while they were having sex. The first thing he had stripped off in front of these two, had been his shirt.

He stood, throwing his socks over to wherever his boots had landed, and was rewarded when both pairs of eyes examined him from top to bottom, not even lingering over the scars. He didn't have to worry about what they would say, because they had been through the same thing, had the same multitude of scars. He smirked again, and trained a fingertip over a particularly vicious scar that ran from his belly button, and ended over his lower ribs. He laughed softly as the heat flared in those eyes.

"Well, come and get me," Zach said softly, and was rewarded when Cloud took a step away from Sephiroth. He was then back to gasping as Cloud almost flew towards him, spinning him around to face the back wall, his hands held behind his back. He shivered as Clouds breath ghosted over the back of his neck.

"I told you to strip, and I meant completely," Cloud purred, and Zach was suddenly reminded of the time when they had all shared the memory of his attempted suicide. The way Cloud had walked over to Vincent, the sexual predator that he had been. His erection gave a painful jerk at the reminder, and at the soft hands that glided underneath his arms, caressing his ribs and chest with lazy movements. He closed his eyes, tilting his head back slightly as he swiftly removed his belt and pants, sliding them down his legs and kicking them away. Another shiver traveled down his spine at the soft chuckle that he felt rather then heard on the back of his neck.

"Perfect," Cloud muttered, and Zach snapped his eyes open when he felt movement in front of him. Sephiroth stood there, his hands chastely at his sides, through his eyes were devouring the two men who stood in front of him.

"Your turn beloved," Cloud said softly over his shoulder, and Zach began to move his hands to caress the man behind him, but before the movement could be completed, his hands were captured again. He growled, but Cloud only laughed softly.

"Do you want me to truly make you my bitch?" Cloud said, amused, and both Zach and Sephiroth blinked in surprise. Cloud never said things like that, but Zach had to admit, those words said directly in his ear made him want to whimper.

"You couldn't make me your bitch if you tried," Zach gasped out, when Cloud tightened his hold on his wrists halfway through his sentence. He barely noticed Sephiroth, now bare chested, walking closer, until Cloud spun him out of his grip, and Sephiroth recaptured them. He was now facing the man that had starred in his darkest, hottest fantasies.

"So you don't think I can make you my bitch?" Cloud asked, and Zach could only shake his head, words leaving him when Cloud swiftly stripped off his shirt. Clad only in low-slung black jeans, even with being to skinny, he looked like he had just walked out of a wet dream. His eyes were a dark blue that he didn't recognize, but standing behind him, Sephiroth did. It was the eye color Cloud had when he was at his most aroused, and seeing it made the cat-eyed man growl lowly in his throat.

Zach felt the growl against his neck, but it was something that he didn't really comprehend. His brain was awash in sexual energy, as he watched Cloud slowly walk to him, until their bodies were a breath apart, their lips almost touching. He sucked in a breath as Cloud's fingertips ghosted over his highly sensitive skin. He started at his chest, and worked his way down slowly, seeming to touch every part of Zach he could reach, but always with that feather touch.

The back of his head collided sharply with a broad shoulder as Cloud used that feather light touch on his cock, sending shockwaves coursing through his body.

"Oh shit Cloud," Zach whispered, not able to talk louder as all his attention was focused on keeping his legs upright. He groaned when Cloud wrapped his hand around him completely, sliding slowly up and down as Cloud's lips and teeth found his neck, biting and licking first softly, then more forcefully as Zach's moans and whimpers grew louder.

"I will make you scream my name," Cloud purred into his ear, and Zach's legs finally lost their battle. If Seph hadn't been holding him up, he would have fallen into a boneless heap on the floor. He felt the blond's attention shift slightly, and opened hazy eyes to see him staring over his shoulder. The intensity of those eyes, and the answering heat that suddenly engulfed him from Sephiroth's body made him arch his back, gasping at the sudden heat covering his skin.

"He's all yours," Cloud said softly, removing his hand and taking a step back. Zach was confused for only a moment, before he was whipped around, lush lips capturing his own in the most scorching kiss he had ever experienced. Since his hands were free, he immediately raised them, sliding them into that mane of delicious silver hair, crushing his body to Sephiroth's.

----------

All thought had left his mind sometime ago, and as Zach's lips crashed into his, his mind scattered even more. Running his tongue lightly over Zach's bottom lip, he felt as though he was tasting forbidden fruit. The entire time he had known Zach, the man had been strictly straight, a rarity in ShinRa. It didn't stop Sephiroth from lusting after that well built, tanned body that belonged to the man in his arms.

As Zach pushed his hands into his hair, he growled softly, angling his head so the kiss became deeper, fiercer as Sephiroth took complete possession of his mouth. His arms wrapped around Zach's waist, pulling the man harder against him, and Sephiroth broke the kiss, nibbling down the side of his neck. He opened his eyes, and rolled them upwards as Zach arched against him, meeting the pair of blue eyes that were watching them from a heavy lidded gaze. He kept the eye contact, his breath hitching slightly as Cloud ran his fingertips down his own chest, before resting on the button of his jeans. His teeth bit lightly into Zach's shoulder, causing the man to gasp out his name as the button came undone, and the jeans slowly slid to the floor, Cloud finally completely exposed. Somehow, the thinness of him didn't detract from his beauty, but only seemed to enhance the dangerous look smoldering in those eyes. It was a look of complete possession. One that said your mine, and only mine. He felt branded somehow as his ministrations stopped with Zach, his mind and body completely captured by the small blond that was stalking towards them.

Zach was gently taken from his arms, before being roughly thrown to the floor. Then it was Cloud's lips on his, and he had never felt this side from his lover before. Cloud's lips moved over his, devouring, tasting, teasing. His hands slid over the smooth, round ass, and he shivered in response to the fistfuls of hair that Cloud gathered. His head was pulled away roughly, and instead of making him angry, the pain and demand in those eyes only heightened his desire. He held his breath as green looked into blue. Blue demanded, and green was more then happy to provide.

"I want you to fuck him," Cloud said, turning his head to stare directly at the man on the ground, who was watching them with wide, lust-filled eyes. "While he uses his mouth on my cock." Zach made a soft sound deep in his throat, the violet growing even darker as Cloud's words sunk in. Sephiroth had to smirk slightly at the obvious anticipation filling Zach's face, before his thoughts scattered once again. Cloud had knelt down, and was unbuckling his pants, sliding them slowly down his hips, the entire time his sultry blue eyes turned up, capturing his own again easily. As Cloud slid his luscious lips over his erection, he hissed and reached up, bracing himself on the beams on the ceiling, glad once again that he was so damn tall. All his senses were focused on the pleasure his lover was giving him, his eyes glued to his own cock, unable to look away from what Cloud was doing to him. He groaned softly when he pulled away, but then watched as Cloud crawled to the wall, leaning against it slightly, before looking to Zach. All the blond had to do was cock one eyebrow, and Zach was moving towards him, already licking his lips. Sephiroth had the best view, he thought, watching Zach's ass move up and down with the movements of his now occupied mouth.

He knelt behind Zach, and laid a gentle kiss on the mans lower back, before looking up to Cloud, raising an eyebrow. Cloud smirked, and reached a hand out, lifted the edge of the blanket they were all on, and flicked the bottle of oil they always used at him. He caught it in one hand, and returned the smirk before Cloud's attention was drawn back downwards, his hands digging into black spikes, and then roughly pulled Zach up, forcing the man to stare into those drowning blue eyes.

"Say it," Cloud demanded, and Sephiroth poured a small bit of oil onto his hand, working it around his fingers, before beginning to gently play with Zach's ass. He smirked as the man swallowed, and then gasped at the feel of his fingers.

"Say what?" Zach managed to get out, and Cloud only tsked.

"Say you're my bitch," Cloud said quietly, and Sephiroth slid one finger into Zach, making the man arch his back and groan. Cloud looked down the mans scarred back to watch Sephiroth, as he worked his finger in, and around. He watched as Cloud licked his lips, his eyes focusing back on Zach's face, whose lips were moist and parted, gasping in breath. His body tightened past the point of pain as Cloud gently kissed the side of Zach's neck.

"Say it," Cloud said again, repeating himself between steadily harder bites, each one making Zach cry out louder, his body trembling from the conflicting ministrations from the two men. Sephiroth, now with a second finger inside Zach, was being gentle, taking his time. Cloud was biting harder each time, leaving imprints of teeth on the mans shoulders and neck. With a grin of satisfaction, Sephiroth found what he was looking for, and ran the tip of his finger over Zach's prostate. Zach cried out loudly, his body going completely rigid.

"Mmm, you liked that didn't you?" Cloud purred into his ear, and Zach could only manage a nod. Sephiroth grinned slightly, easing a third finger in, and when it was fully in, with more whimpers and moans from Zach, he hit that spot again, but continued to rub it, earning screams from the man caught between them.

"I'll be the bitch for you both, just don't fucking stop," Zach gasped out, and Cloud smirked, his eyes glowing in triumph.

"Fuck him," Cloud said quietly, but it was a demand. His body already quivering with readiness, Sephiroth took no time in complying. He straightened his body, lightly grasping Zach's hips as he aligned himself with Zach's entrance. He stilled as Cloud dug his fingers back into Zach's hair, forcing the mans mouth back onto his erection. Slicking himself with more of the oil, which always smelled like vanilla to him, he eased his way into Zach, and was halfway in when Zach forced his head up, gasping and looking over his shoulder with wild eyes.

"Fuck me already!" he demanded, and Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"It will hurt," he said quietly, and Zach only growled, Cloud watching with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"Fuck that, I want the bitch to hurt," he said, before impaling himself completely onto Sephiroth, making both men still, breathing heavily. Zach shuddered, and for a moment, Sephiroth was concerned that he had really hurt him, before he groaned loudly, and started sucking on Cloud with increased vigor. He met Cloud's startled, glazed eyes with his own, before he could stand it no longer. He started moving, his thrusts deep, hard, and fast, which Zach obviously liked, since the man could easily be heard, even with Cloud's cock taking up his mouth.

----------

Cloud watched, his mouth dropping open as he fought his urge to scream. His lover was fucking their fellow General, and it was this particular positioning of the three that had caused many a sleepless night for him. He felt Zach's mouth come off him, before being replaced with a hand, and his cock twitched as Zach started whispering yes, over and over again, like prayer, punctuated with small screams. Cloud watched in rapt attention as Zach gave himself completely to their sex, pushing his body back against Sephiroth's, meeting him thrust for thrust. His hand moved in time, and soon Cloud found himself gripping Zach's shoulders, hissing softly.

"Just like that Zach," Cloud whispered, and he didn't realize how he looked to the other two men. His skin was glistening with sweat in the candlelight, his eyebrows drawn together in concentration as he constantly licked his lips, sharp, short breaths passing them. The two were captivated by the man, as his breathing faltered, his body twitching slightly as he approached orgasm, which sent the other two careening closer to their edge.

Cloud gasped out one time, his back arching hard as he came into Zach's hand, his own hands tightly digging into black spikes. Zach screamed, making Cloud open his eyes as he came onto the floor, Sephiroth pounding into his body with abandon. Cloud swallowed, watching the two muscular bodies tighten in orgasm, the sweat that was making Sephiroth's hair cling to his skin, the flush of pink on his ice pale body. The three shuddered as one, and then fell boneless into a heap on the floor.

"Wow," Zach muttered, his voice already heavy with sleep. In seconds, he was passed out between Sephiroth and Cloud, who looked at each other with amusement over the sleeping form.

"I love you, you know that right?" Cloud asked suddenly, and winced as Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, suspicion clear in his eyes.

"Of course I know," was the soft reply, and even though he knew his lover was hiding something, he let it go. Tomorrow would be a better day. "Get some sleep. You'll need it." With that, Sephiroth lay his own head down, and was immediately asleep.

Cloud stayed the way he was for a moment, seriously debating on taking Sephiroth's advice. He knew though, that if he were to go to sleep, staying would only make it harder to leave. So he waited for a couple minutes, letting his eyes wander over their bodies as he memorized every tiny detail. Like the barely there, self-inflicted cuts on Sephiroth's pale legs, or the large burn mark on Zach's calf from the muffler of his bike, when they had been fixing them at the mansion. The thing he forced deep into his brain though, so he never would forget, was how innocent the two looked in sleep. Even after sex, it wasn't very often you saw these two completely relaxed, no frown marring their brows, even in sleep.

He silently got to his feet, and covered the two men with another blanket that he kept stashed up here. He blew out all the candles but one, and moved it far enough away, so even if they moved they wouldn't knock it over. While having one last look at the two as they curled tighter around each other, the warmth from their love making dissipating, he felt Lupus brush against his mind.

**Draco and Aquila know what were going to do,** the wolf said, and Cloud smirked.

_Are they going to stop us?_ He asked.

**No, and they will not tell Sephiroth or Zach, either. Unless forced,** he added, almost as an afterthought. Cloud wasn't to worried about that. When the two awoke and found him gone; not just from the bed, but from the town all together, they would know what he had done. He would be long gone by that point, and planned on having a few choice words for the two. He didn't like what he was planning on doing, but he truly thought it was necessary. He was going to make the two men hate him.

He slid the turtle neck back on, as well as his jeans and boots, and silently made his way down the ladder. Once there, he slid his black sword in the sheath, and stuffed some food, and certain materia into a knapsack. The food would only be enough to last him a week, but he didn't think he would be alive that long, so he wasn't worried.

Walking out the barn doors, he stopped, and looked back up to the single light that was shining in the loft.

"Goodbye, my loves," he said quietly, before turning and looking at Lupus, who had walked up while he was gazing upwards. Taking a deep breath, he quieted his swirling emotions, and attached the pack to the saddle. With a running start, they made it to the wall in less then a minute, and stood staring down at the creations, as they had only hours before. Bringing his sword out, he turned to Lupus with a feral grin, that matched the one the wolf had.

"Ready, my brother?" he asked, and Lupus nodded. Then they both leaped from the wall.


	6. Lover of Death

"What the fuck!?" he heard a woman scream, and jolted immediately awake, wincing when he found his long hair still pinned below Zach. He looked for the source of the noise, and smirked slightly at the sight of Tifa, who was standing there with a dumbfounded look on her face. Even though his insides were twisting with guilt, because you could obviously see the two of them were naked, Cloud gone somewhere else, he kept his face calm as he reached over and began tapping Zach lightly on the face, to wake him. He got little warning as Tifa leapt, barely rolling out of the way as she jumped on Zach, making the mans eyes fly open, and a soft oomph sound coming from him. He smirked as she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him hard enough that his head smacked into the wood floor a couple times.

"How could you fucking cheat on me?!" she was screaming, and Sephiroth sighed as Zach spluttered, trying to wake up even as he tried to formulate an answer. He did feel slightly guilty, but not enough to regret what the three had done last night. As she continued screaming, and Zach continued to try to explain, he located his pants, and slid them on as he contacted Draco.

_Where is Cloud?_ He asked, buckling his pants together. He stopped, his eyes narrowing to slits as he looked at the doorway, and the morning light that was seeping through. Draco was silent, and the only emotion he was getting from the dragon was a painful acceptance. He growled softly as he tested the doorways, and found them sealed shut between him and Cloud. He couldn't even talk with the man mind to mind with the doors closed so tightly. Panic slithered through his gut, and he quickly finished dressing himself. He walked over, and grabbed Tifa by the back of her shirt, pulling her off Zach who was warding off her blows, and throwing her across the floor. He looked down at Zach, and the mans look of relief quickly turned to one of narrowed eyed concentration.

"Cloud left," Sephiroth said quietly, and that statement even shut up Tifa, as she slowed down from the run she had to reach them again.

"Why would he leave? How could he leave?" the woman asked, and Sephiroth only shrugged. Cloud was the most powerful out of them, and if he had decided to leave, he would have cut a swath through the creations to get to where he wanted to go. Nothing could stop the man or wolf once their minds were made up about something.

"Draco won't tell me anything, and the doors are shut so tightly between me and Cloud that I can't contact him mentally," he said quietly, and Zach sat up, the blanket falling off him, and distracting Sephiroth for a moment. Damn this man was fine, he thought, before his mind completely switched gears as Alia came running into the barn, her wolf, whose named turned out to be Silk, running at her side. She scaled the ladder up to the loft at top speed, and Sephiroth bent down, picking up Zach's clothing and tossing it to him. He stood, and quickly began to dress as Alia ran full tilt to them, skidding to a stop. She looked over Zach's undressed state, Tifa's flushed face, and Sephiroth darkly stoic one without even a blink.

"General Strife is gone, and half of the creations outside the wall are dead," she reported, her hands fingering the matching daggers that were stuck into her belt, the only sign of her turmoil. "The clones are out finishing off the rest, so the siege should be lifted soon. Then they plan on moving to Bone, to kill those that are there. Sir's…" her voice was hesitant, and finally a look of desperation entered her eyes. "Tell me that General Strife didn't leave? For good?" Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned to look down from the loft, where Draco and Aquila were entering the barn. His eyes met those of the dragon, and what he saw there sent a silent scream echoing through his mind.

"Alia, if he left, he did it with everyone's best interest in mind," he growled, the words bitter enough that even Zach winced away from him. He stalked away from everyone, before he lashed out at those who didn't deserve it. As he went down the ladder, he couldn't even begin to make sense of the emotions that were roaring through him. Anger, because Cloud had used them last night, used the sex to get them to go to sleep. He knew that neither he nor Zach had been sleeping. A deep, soul piercing feeling of sorrow, because what he had told Alia was true. Cloud wouldn't have left unless he felt it was necessary. He didn't know why Cloud felt the need to do things alone, and Sephiroth had hoped that in the two years they had finally been together with no insane alien to corrupt things, that Cloud had learned it was all right to rely on other people. Elation and a cold calculation were intertwined so closely he couldn't separate them. As a General, he knew the strengths of his warriors, and those that fought with him. Cloud had an inner strength that was unrivaled. That strength would cause him to fight through thousands of creations and come out unscathed, the wolf by his side. He knew what Cloud was going to do, because he had thought the same thing repeatedly. How easy it would have been to just leave, and go deal with Hojo on his own. Thanks to Denzel and Genesis, they had inside knowledge of the caverns that Hojo worked in, the ways in and out. Panic was his biggest emotion though. Panic, because going to the crater to confront Hojo was a suicide mission.

----------

_How the fuck could you do this? _Sephiroth asked of Cloud, from where they sat on their animals. He and Zach had been out fighting when Cloud contacted them. Sephiroth was so startled by the feeling he was getting from his lover, that he had almost let a creation sink its teeth into his upper body. The only time he had felt Cloud this cold, uncaring, was when he had tried to commit suicide in front of he and Zach, and Vincent. So here he and Zach were, strapped into their saddles as they flew over and around the town, looking for any sign of movement that wasn't their allies. The doors were only open enough for them to speak mind to mind, but not enough for Sephiroth or Zach to find out where Cloud was.

_I did it because I'm the fucking General, I am Death, _Cloud said coldly, and Sephiroth clenched his teeth together, glancing over at Zach. He saw the same rising anger in the other man.

_I don't give a fuck if you're the General, Death, or a fucking chocobo, you had no right to leave us like that, to try and take on this shit by yourself, _Zach said. They both heard Cloud chuckle softly, and Sephiroth narrowed his eyes.

_I don't need either one of you. I can take on Hojo by myself, and that is what I am going to do. Neither one of you had to know, so I didn't tell you. Deal with it. _

_Deal with it? _Sephiroth asked, shocked. _Deal with it?! How dare you fucking tell us to deal with it you bastard! We are a triangle, three parts of a whole. Without us, how do you hope to defeat him, and all the creations he has up there? You're on a fucking suicide mission Cloud! _He growled softly, his hands tightening on Masamune as Cloud only laughed.

_I have the Brother of my Soul with me,_ Cloud said affectionately, and they felt an almost sorry coming from the link that was Lupus. _He is all I need. I made the mistake in thinking that it would take all three of us to defeat him. It only takes me, because I am the strongest, and the most powerful. You two would only get in the way of what I need to do. You're lucky I didn't kill you while you slept last night._

Both sets of wing beats faltered in the air, as the Generals mouths opened in shock. Cloud said it so deadpan, with a hint of curiosity, as though he wondered what it would have been like to kill them. Sephiroth felt his heart crack in two, and then seal back together behind a coating of ice. He smirked, shaking his head as he laughed softly.

_Do you really think, even as powerful as you claim to be, that you could kill the Great General Sephiroth in his sleep? You are sadly mistaken, General Strife. _Sephiroth raised an elegant eyebrow at the wince he felt from Cloud, the smirk still on his face. _Did I strike a nerve, General? If you believe you can kill Hojo on your own, go ahead. Let me know when you die, so I can come collect the pieces. After all, you are a great war hero. You deserve a burial with the proper fanfare. _His smirk turned into a small grin as Cloud snorted in wry laughter.

_Don't bury me, burn me. As you said, this is a suicide mission,_ then the doors slammed shut. Shaking his head, Sephiroth looked to Zach.

_Land. We need to tell them not to expect their Golden General back. _

_----------_

"What do you mean he's not coming back?" Vincent asked, his normally low, even voice dripping with disbelief. Zach shrugged, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.

"He decided he's a one man show, so he went up to the crater to kill Hojo on his own," he said quietly, wondering at the evenness of his voice, and the coldness that was eating him up inside. It wasn't like him to sit still, his arms crossed, no expression on his face. Let alone not talking more then was needed. He was empty inside, but feeling the truthfulness in Cloud's voice when he told them he could kill them had shut everything down. He truly believed Cloud could do it, and not blink.

"Why would he go up there alone?" Marlene asked, her eyes narrowed.

"He thinks he can do it alone," Tifa said quietly, making all eyes turn to her. She stood at the open door, looking out to the town, and the fresh falling snow. It was the first words she had said this entire time, after they had called everyone together to the room next to the barn.

"He has always been a loner, very independent. He has always sacrificed himself for other people, with no regard to his own well being. When we were younger, he saved me from death, with no thought to the fact that he could have easily gone over the edge of the ravine with me. He took a job at the local timber mill, when his mom got sick. He was only eleven, but he somehow managed to work his way in, going to school every day, working every night, and every weekend. He barely got paid, but he never complained once. His job kept him and his mom from starving." Sephiroth blinked at her. He reached up to rub a spot of pain that was beginning to start above his left eye, thinking through what she had said. Deciding he really didn't care, Cloud had made his choice in leaving them, the spot above his eye became a blinding migraine in a moment, sending his body to the floor, and his mind swimming through a river of green light.

----------

"_Where am I?" he asked, his voice imperious. _

"_It is not his time to die," a multitude of voices answered, making him wince with the overpowering sound. He held his hands to his head, wincing._

"_Tone it down a bit," he whispered, wondering why he still had his headache in a dream, vision…whatever this was. _

"_You have no time," they answered, and he gasped, falling to his knees on a seemingly hard floor, even though it shifted and roiled underneath him. "You must go to him, bring him back. It is not his time to die!" They screamed the last, and Sephiroth groaned, falling to the floor and clutching his head. It felt like someone was taking razors to his brain, cutting in a haphazard pattern. One voice came floating out of the green light that instantly soothed his pain, making him blink and look around, his hands slowly falling from his head._

"_It was stupid of him to go alone," Aeris said quietly, materializing out of the light. She knelt by his head, her hands sliding through his hair and making him sigh in relief. With each pass she did, the pain grew less and less, until it was no longer there. When that happened, he sat up, crossing his legs as he looked at Aeris with narrowed eyes._

"_So he is going to die?" he asked, his voice cold and clinical. She winced, not meeting his eyes, and nodded. Sephiroth nodded as well, and looked around._

"_Am I back in the Lifestream?" he asked, and she shook her head._

"_Not quite," she said, looking around with a small smile. "This is the place where the dead Ancients reside. It's in the Lifestream, but it's not actually it. Does that make sense?" she asked, and he nodded. _

"_You need to go to him Sephiroth," she said, and he laughed humorlessly._

"_He doesn't want my help, Aeris. He made that completely clear." She growled, and he winced._

"_He does, and if you don't realize that, here!" Then she grasped his head, and he was thrown into a vision. From the sky, he watched as Cloud and Lupus cut through creations around the crater, both of them covered in black blood, and even as he watched, one of the bird creations clamped its beak around his upper arm. He shook it off coldly, before turning and decapitating the thing. He and the wolf then continued their path of destruction, coming closer to the crater with each swipe of their formidable weapons. Then he saw it, as Aeris took him closer. Not only were the two covered in the black blood, but they sported several deep wounds, that bled heavily. Both man and wolf were encased in flames, but the power didn't seem as strong as it usually did. When Cloud had always used it, any enemy that came even remotely close was burned to a crisp. Aeris pulled him away, and they were back in the ever shifting green sea._

"_So what? He made it clear he wants to do this on his own," Sephiroth commented coldly. "He is the most powerful, so if he thinks he can do it by himself, then he probably can." Aeris growled again, and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him viciously._

"_You stupid, stupid man! Don't you understand? He has gone on a suicide mission! If you and Zach aren't there by his side, he will die, and the Planet will be lost! He thinks that he can kill Hojo, and everything will stop! Hojo is going to be inside his Weapon, do you understand!? To kill one is to kill the other. If Cloud kills Hojo before the Weapon is complete, the damn thing will keep growing until it reaches maturity, and then it will go on a killing rampage! With no one to guide it! Are you understanding now!? He," slap "will" slap "DIE!" Sephiroth grabbed her hands before she could smack him again, and watched her with narrowed eyes._

"_If he goes up there now, he will die, and even if he kills Hojo, the Weapon will continue to grow, and then consume the Planet with no one to stop it, or control it. It will take all three of us to kill said Weapon, and because Hojo is going to be inside of it when we kill it, we get two birds with one stone. Cloud is going to die anyway in the Final Battle, isn't that what your precious ancestors told him? They told a man, who has finally come to accept that he will have a longer lifespan then most people, living his life with people he loves, that he is going to die in the next couple months? What kind of sick bastards are you people? Did you even tell him any of the stuff about Hojo?" He shoved Aeris away from him when she shook her head slowly, and stood, looking down at her with a snarl._

"_So now I have to go rescue his skinny ass? He doesn't want me to Aeris! What part of that don't you understand? He made it very clear to both Zach and me that he didn't need our help. He told us that he was thinking of killing us last night, and I felt the truth of his words. He actually considered it. If he could kill either of us that easily, especially after the past two years, then why would I want to help him?" He snapped his mouth shut, and plowed his hands into his hair. He growled furiously to himself, hating the tears that were pricking his eyes._

"_Sephiroth," Aeris said quietly, looking up at him from her place on the ground. "Did you consider that he said those things, so you would hate him? So you wouldn't come after him?" He rounded on her, making her wince with the green edge white flame that burst from his eyes._

"_Of course I fucking have! I know that's why he said those things! You didn't hear him Aeris," his voice dropped to a whisper, and the tears finally slid down his pale cheeks. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "When he said those things, he meant them. He would have killed us both without a second thought." _

"_Do you really believe that? Do you honestly believe that he could have killed either one of you and feel nothing?" Sephiroth chuckled humorlessly, glancing over to Aeris with the most jaded look she had ever seen._

"_You misunderstand. I never said he would feel nothing. However, he would have killed us without hesitation, if he thought he was doing the right thing. Look at what happened with me. Two times he actually killed me, and the first he tried his damndest, because he knew it was the right thing. It didn't matter to him that it was me, his General and lover. He mourned afterwards, but he never hesitated to strike the killing blow." Sephiroth turned his head, his eyes far away and lost as he looked into the green swirls. "That's what makes him the most powerful though, isn't it? The fact that he doesn't hesitate. He wouldn't think twice about throwing himself in front of someone to save them, to stay out on the battlefield even though he was close to collapsing, just to make sure his troops got to safety. His mind has always been on how to save as many lives as he can. With Zach and I, we wouldn't think twice about letting other people die to protect Cloud. Acceptable losses, I was once told." _

"_What would you do to protect him?" she asked, and Sephiroth turned back to her, wondering at the formality of her words. He answered without hesitation, even though he was still wickedly pissed at the blond._

"_Anything."_

"_So be it," she said, and stood. Her bright green eyes paled until it looked as though she was blind, nothing but white and an odd green light shining through them._

"_Sephiroth, you are the Lover of Death. You accepted your charge when you touched your Ignis Anima, till death takes you, or your charge is fulfilled. Do you still claim to be his Lover, do you still fight for your charge?" she asked, her voice deep, and seeming to contain the voices of all the ones he heard before. He knelt before her in awe, staring up at the vision before him. Her hair twisted around her in thick brown ropes, her body clad in shimmery white cloth. She looked like an angel, and he found himself nodding, not able to speak in this new presence._

"_Then I grant you the power to do what needs to be done," she whispered, and then laid a hand on his head. He screamed as something roared through him, and the last thing he heard before falling into the green light was her voice, back to normal._

"_Save him Sephiroth. You're the only one who can."_

_----------_

Sephiroth awoke with a jerk, gasping for breath. He lay on the floor, ignoring the faces that swam in his vision, as he fought with the new power inside him. He heard thunder echoing in the distance, and then a loud crack shook the air, making the people around him jump and squeak in surprise. Another crack, and then another, as he lay on the floor, his body twitching as he fought inside his own mind. The power…it was so strong. He was loosing the battle, and then he realized something. Why was he fighting? He forced all his mental defenses down, and it poured through him like a molten river. He screamed, his back arching off the floor, as constant cracks of lightning and thunder sounded above the town. He felt the flames burst around his body, and as suddenly as it came, it calmed down in his own mind.

He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling through a haze of green edged white flame. Slowly standing to his feet, he looked around, hardly noticing that everyone had been thrown against the walls, and they were all watching him with fear filled eyes, even Zach. One loud rumble of thunder rolled across the town, and Sephiroth slowly turned his head, looking out the door, and noticing that the once bright daylight was muted to almost blackness by the storm clouds that covered the town. He watched without much interest as the day started brightening again, but then he suddenly smiled. He looked down at his hand, slowly closing and opening his fist, watching the fire move with it. He was feeling better then he had in a long time. His mental switch had been thrown, so he now stood in the middle of the room, as the Lover of Death. A deep calm had settled over him, because he knew what had to be done, no matter what the cost.

He walked out of the door, not caring that the people of the village who saw him whispered softly, staring at his burning form with fear widened eyes. He turned the corner, and opened the door of the barn, and smirked at the sight that greeted him. Draco was standing in the middle of the room, his scales glittering with the fire that had consumed them both.

**I will not let my brother die,** Draco growled in the deep, raspy voice he had.

"I will not let my lover die, either," Sephiroth said quietly. He stared at the door in his mind that connected him to Cloud, and made a decision. He gathered the new power, and slammed the door open, feeling Cloud and Lupus both stagger as their flames exploded from their bodies, leaving a large circle of burned bodies around them, that the creations were now loathe to cross.

_If you don't stay where you, I swear to Gaia that I will kill you with my bare hands, _Sephiroth growled out, and Cloud only stared at him. _Do you understand me General Strife?_ Sephiroth commanded, in a voice that he never used with Cloud, but he was past the point of caring. He nodded briskly when Cloud snapped straight, giving him a stiff nod.

_We will be there shortly._ He then slammed the door shut, causing a resounding echo in his own mind. With a vicious thought, he hoped that it gave Cloud a headache. Slipping onto Draco's back, he tightened the straps around his legs. Draco took a running start, and as soon as they were in the large courtyard in front of the barn, the dragon spread his wings, and took flight. Noticing Zach underneath him, staring up with angry eyes, he contacted Aquila.

_Neither of you are to follow us, _he said, and the bird twitched mentally.

**We want to help,** Aquila said, but it was Draco who answered.

**If either one of you leaves this town, dying in the war will be the least of your problems,** Draco commented, and Sephiroth had never heard the dragons voice sound so cold, commanding…so much like his own. They both felt reluctant confirmation from the eagle, then all their thoughts were taken up with locating the errant, stupid General Strife.


	7. Level Up You'll Need It

** For chanson des ombres. :D Your reviews make my day. Thank you!!**

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It didn't take them long to locate the wolf and his brother, and as Sephiroth and Draco swooped down, the mans teeth were grinding in annoyance. Cloud and Lupus had pushed farther towards the crater, obviously intent on reaching the cave entrance that Sephiroth could see.

He and Draco slammed into the ground in a controlled dive, using their anger to send the fire in a shockwave away from them, burning creations in a radius of almost one hundred feet. He wasn't even paying attention as he slid from the saddle, and walked over to a swaying Cloud, who was looking at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"How?..." was all Cloud managed to get out, before Sephiroth backhanded him across the face, sending the man sprawling. He turned to Lupus, and without a word pointed back towards Icicle. The wolf growled lowly, and Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, letting the flames pulse brighter around him. Lupus shrank away, giving Cloud an apologetic look, before running full tilt back towards the town. He walked over to the groggy General, and bent down, wrapping one arm around Cloud's waist. He heaved him up, not caring that he was being covered in red and black blood. Tossing the man over his shoulder, he walked back to Draco, and mounted. Without one word, the two flew back into the sky, towards Icicle.

----------

Landing gracefully, Sephiroth shoved the struggling Cloud off the saddle, sending the man to the ground in a boneless heap. He dismounted, and walked over to the man slowly getting to his feet, meeting the pair of blazing blue eyes with his own green.

"You have no right…" Cloud began, but Sephiroth walked over to him, backhanding him once more. Cloud didn't go down this time, only licked his lips where it had been split, glaring defiantly at the silver haired man.

"You want to act like a spoiled bitch, then you'll get treated like one," Sephiroth growled out, ignoring the swiftly growing crowd as he smacked Cloud once again, the man making no move to defend himself.

"How am I acting like one?" Cloud asked, before instinctively blocking the underhanded punch that Sephiroth threw. It drew them body to body, the two glaring into the others eyes with snarls on their faces.

"You left, thinking of no one but yourself, and you tell me how you weren't acting spoiled," Sephiroth said, every few words punctuated with a blow, which Cloud easily blocked.

"I left because I thought it would be better for everyone," he commented, and barely had time to unsheathe his sword, bringing it up to block the overhead swing Sephiroth directed his way. The swords met with a ringing clash, and both men growled.

"Better for who Cloud? For yourself, or for us?" Sephiroth asked, their blows becoming more vicious and fast as the argument wore on.

"I left to protect everyone!" Cloud cried out, his voice ripe with anger.

"You left to protect your own lily white ass!" Crash.

"I left so you wouldn't have to watch me die!" Blood.

"So I got to sit here and wonder if I could have saved you? How fucking fair is that you bastard?" Scream.

Cloud was on his knees, both men breathing heavily as blood seeped sluggishly out of the cuts they had inflicted on each other.

"I was trying to do the right thing," Cloud whispered, holding his shoulder, where the Masamune had pierced it.

"You always try to do the right thing. It always ends up being wrong. Your not alone anymore Cloud. Don't you understand that?" Sephiroth's voice was still a low growl, not yet able to forgive the blond kneeling in front of him. Cloud nodded slightly, but his growl deepened, not seeing any indication that Cloud actually believed it. He threw his sword down into the mud and snow, and walked over to Cloud, pushing the man back so he was lying flat. Sephiroth knelt over him, gripping the blonds shoulder, and shaking him slightly.

"You want to know what Aeris told me? Hojo is going to be the one inside his Weapon," Cloud's eyes widened, and his anger suddenly had another direction. After screaming at the man, making him collapse, and telling him he was going to die in the Final Battle, the damn Cetra hadn't even given him the whole picture. Sephiroth sighed, and leaned back on his knees, staring down at Cloud with narrowed eyes. "If you were to kill Hojo now, the Weapon would still continue to grow. Once it matured, and didn't have anyone to control it, it would then have complete free reign. It would be a mindless monster, only intent on destroying everything. You would have died going after Hojo, and then no one would have stood a chance." He signed in frustration, and stood, walking away from the man in the mud. He turned away from everyone, his eyes closed as he forced himself to be calm, the fire melting away from his and Draco's bodies.

"You said once that you had something to live for," Zach said, walking out from the crowd. Sephiroth turned, watching the man walk over to Cloud and help him to his feet. Those violet eyes never left the blue that were staring at him wide eyed. "Are you that willing to give us up?" Zach's voice was soft, but there was a level of hurt there that made Cloud wince, and look away. Sephiroth felt a shock to his core. That Cloud had just looked away, and the wince…he would give them up. He really would.

"I'm going to die anyway," Cloud muttered, pulling his arm out of Zach's grip. "I have no choice in giving you up. Even if I didn't want to, my destiny was set the moment I was born, as were yours." His voice turned bitter, and his hands clenched into fists, making the blood run faster from his slowly healing wounds. "Do you two really think this is what I wanted? They didn't tell me everything about Hojo and that damn Weapon. I thought when I left, that even if I were to die, Hojo would also be dead, and there would be no more creations, no more war. I was willing to sacrifice myself for everyone, because that is what a leader does. They put their own feelings and emotions aside for the greater good. I believed that me killing Hojo by myself, was for the greater good. Then neither of you would have to watch me die." His voice lowered to a whisper, and Sephiroth sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Cloud," Sephiroth said quietly, thinking back to what Aeris had said. _Save him Sephiroth. You're the only one who can. _He had felt the double meaning of those words, and knew she was telling him that saving him now, wasn't the only time he could. Cloud looked up at him, exhaustion and defeat clear in those amazing eyes. "I am not going to let you die. Now, or in the Final Battle." Cloud narrowed his eyes as Sephiroth began walking over to him. He stopped directly in front of him, and as they were staring into each other eyes, Sephiroth slowly eased the door open between the two.

Cloud gasped as flames flickered to life in their eyes, and swiftly ran over their bodies to consume them. They stood staring at each other, Cloud with a look of amazement at the level of power Sephiroth was showing. Cloud knew, as he stared into the ice green eyes in front of him, that Sephiroth now wielded power that was equal to his. Zach watched with wide, envious eyes, feeling the power level of the two men.

----------

Those of the villagers in the crowd were whispering amongst themselves, staring at the two figures that had caught fire. Those soldiers in the crowd watched with idle speculation, having seen their Generals in this particular state before.

"I've never seen it like that before," Alia whispered softly to Silk, who was watching all of it with a bored interest. His ears perked up at her words, and he looked more closely at the two.

"You have seen them like that before," was his comment, and she shook her head, making him confused.

"Always before, General Sephiroth's fire has been tinged with blue, because some of it was General Strife's power. Now though, his fire is pure white, with green. It's separate from General Strife's," her voice was tinged with awe at what she was seeing. This was the colors Sephiroth had when he had awoken on the floor, the sudden storm shaking the room overhead. She looked up as thunder rumbled again, clouds swiftly gathering to cover the weak sunlight that was trying to reach the ground. Then she remembered, that creating storms was Sephiroth's special ability. No one had learned what Zach's was, not even Zach.

----------

Zach looked up briefly at the storm that had gathered because of Sephiroth's will, and smirked slightly. He had always thought that would be a pretty cool power to have. He stepped closer to the two, who were only staring at each other, and as soon as he got close enough, the flames from both reached out to him in an almost caress, and the two doors eased open in his mind. He shivered as his own fire consumed him, more intense then anything he had felt before. Cloud's power could knock him out when he chose, and had on one occasion. This combination between Cloud and Sephiroth though, it could kill him. A rumble shook through the earth as he battled with this new level of power, his hands clenching into fists hard enough that his palms bled from his nails.

Zach fell to his knees as the rumbling continued to grow in intensity, until all the villagers were running and screaming, the earth shaking beneath their feet. Zach fought to contain it, even as the storm above grew in intensity, their power feeding into each other's, circling around, and doubling each time it did. The flames steadily grew in intensity, until the colors melded together, to form one large fireball around the three. The center part of the fire was a blazing white, and the red, green, and black of their individual fire flitted around the edges. The ground finally cracked open slightly as Zach grabbed his head, screaming as a molten river of pure energy flowed through him, burning away some sort of barrier that had been there before. He felt it melt in the onslaught, and as soon as it was completely gone, the pain from this new level of power abated, and their flames seperated as well.

He knelt there, gasping for breath as he slowly lowered his hands from his head. He stared at his own hands, watching the fire there with dull, but curious eyes. The edges were still red, but while the main color had always been the same bright blue as Cloud's, it was now darker, with a purple tint to it. He closed his eyes, and made an effort at calm, so he could shut this power away, because he could still feel soft rumblings underneath him. He took a deep breath, and heard the other two do the same, and the power slid back inside of them, fire winking out of existence around their bodies. He finally looked up, when the doors were only open a sliver like they usually were, and noticed that both Cloud and Sephiroth were on their knees in front of him, forming a triangle. He opened his mouth to speak, and only a soft croak came out. He cleared his throat, ignoring the amused eyes, and tried again with better results.

"Mommy can we ride again?" Zach asked, trying to summon up his usual level of sarcasm, but only got a barest hint. They stared at each other for a moment, then grins split their faces, and all three began to laugh. Standing proved to be a no no though. When they stood, they were immediately washed over with dizziness, and then all three passed out in the mud. Before they were unconscious, all three heard Aeris's voice.

_Level up,_ she said with quiet glee.

----------

**Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again!** Zach awoke with a groan that night, Aquila's voice resounding through his head, and causing his headache to magnify.

**I can't believe you couldn't talk some sense into him,** Draco's loud voice shattered the sleep Sephiroth was getting, and his eyes fluttered open, only to see the roof of the barn.

**He would have gone without me. What was I suppose to do? Let my brother go into the den of Hojo on his own? **Lupus had growled, which startled Cloud awake, and he winced at the abuse his body had taken in the past couple days. He lay still for a moment, completely relaxed with the presence of Zach curled up at his back, and Sephiroth's arms wrapped around him from the front. As the three lay there, listening with amused silence as the three Spirit Animals argued back and forth, they reveled in the others presence. The door to the barn slid open, and all six looked towards it, their arguing and relaxed atmosphere gone.

Genesis was the first though, followed closely by Denzel, Vincent, and Marlene, as well as Glaci, Opal, and Maya. Cloud hid a grin behind his hand, because even with how big the barn was, with six animals, and seven humans, it was crowded. The three on the bed struggled into sitting positions, Sephiroth cursing and Cloud laughing softly when the mans long hair became tangled around one of his arms. The three were laughing by the time the four Protectors had winded their way through the maze of animals, who were all talking quietly to themselves. The three crossed their legs underneath them, the blanket still covering their naked lower halves as the other four approached, and sat on the edge of the full size bed.

They all looked silently at each other for a moment, before all hell broke loose.

"How're you two doing?" Cloud asked, looking towards Denzel and Genesis.

"What happened at Bone?" Sephiroth asked at the same moment, looking at Vincent and Marlene.

"Did you guys know? I finally got my ability!" Zach crowed, extremely pleased with himself, also at the same time. Denzel began talking animatedly with Cloud, the two flowing easily off into their own world, as the now white haired man asked about people he had trained with, what really had been happening while he was in the crater, etc. Genesis looked at his lover in amusement, before joining the conversation that Sephiroth was having with Vincent, discussing strategies on the best way to push towards the crater, now that Hojo's forces had suffered a serious defeat at Bone and Icicle. Marlene and Zach were talking about his new power, and how it would be best to go practice in an unpopulated area until he got the hang of it. The animals were talking about their own strategy, because the three spirit animals had gotten information from the Cetra when their partners had been asleep.

**Quiet,** Lupus said in a commanding voice, and all the humans shut up, turning towards the animals that were all turned towards them. **We obtained information while the three of you were passed out. Hojo had neared completion of the Weapon. It still has to grow, and mature before it is set upon us, so we have roughly a month to make plans. Maya, Opal, and Glaci have an idea, that maybe they can talk to the lower level clones that Hojo has made of us. We might be able to get more of them to our side, promising freedom instead of slavery. Any ideas?**

Genesis had moved so he was leaning against Denzel, the other man idly stroking the black and auburn hair.

"I think we should push towards the crater, gaining as much ground as we can before the emergence of the Weapon," Genesis said, his usually smooth voice deeper with obvious fatigue. Vincent nodded, his human hand playing over Marlene's knuckles.

"We need to destroy as many creations as possible before this happens," Marlene said quietly, and the rest nodded their agreement.

"How many creations have we taken out in the past day?" Sephiroth asked. Glaci stepped forward, before sitting and giving a great sigh.

"We have destroyed, as far as we can tell with recon, almost half of his forces." The humans glanced at each other, annoyance and anger clear on each face.

"Only half?" Denzel muttered, and then cursed, looking down at the man in his lap. "He must have finished those containers in that one cavern by now." Genesis's face turned thoughtful, as he nodded.

"He must have, since it was almost near completion when we got run out," he mused, and everyone was looking at them with confusion. The two were lost in their own world though, and didn't even notice the questioning gazes directed their way.

"I was hoping he wouldn't find the right materia," Denzel muttered, his eyes narrowed.

"He found that vein. You knew it would only be a matter of time," Genesis pointed out, his voice quiet.

"Okay, what the hell are you two talking about?" Zach said loudly, shocking both men into looking at him with wide eyes. Denzel blushed, and Genesis chuckled softly.

"Sorry about that," Genesis said with a grin. "When we left, Hojo had been working on an entire cavern full of containers, and each container could grow approximately three creations." He stopped talking, his eyes filling with an edge of horror that no one understood, except the man looking down at him.

"It was materia based, the containers," Denzel continued speaking, his voice soft. "It had to be a special kind of materia though. It helped speed the growth up, make them stronger, and make their minds more pliant for Hojo. When we left, we only had knowledge of three pieces of this materia, that he was already using. Hojo had found a veins of raw materia in one of the deeper caverns, and we knew that this materia was down there, but he couldn't get to it, at least not yet. We had hoped that he never would." Denzel took a deep breath, not attempting to look up and meet anyone's eyes, except the ones in his arms. Genesis sighed softly, and broke the contact, looking around slowly.

"Hojo never let us into the rooms where he created the monsters, told us we didn't need to know," Genesis said, his hands lacing with Denzel's across his chest. "The reason we were chased out of there, is because we went into the rooms, in the attempt to steal the materia. We never knew exactly how he was using the materia, and if I had, we wouldn't have stayed there that long." The man took a deep breath, and turned his eyes downward, fighting the rising feeling of rage and hopelessness he felt whenever he thought about what they saw. "He…he had fused the materia with someone who held Jenova cells. He breaks the person's mind, then sticks them in a tube of mako and Jenova, where they are hooked up to wires and tubes. They follow whatever Hojo tells them, and the combination of their minds and the materia, effectively brainwashes the creations. That is also the reason why he is able to control the creations without ever leaving his caves. They have some sort of mental connection with the creations because of the materia. Hojo uses mostly animal cells when experimenting, so the creations are mostly animal. With the addition of Jenova and mako to their systems, if Hojo were to not have these people controlling them, the creations would begin to develop their own thoughts, own wills. Hojo would no longer have a way to control them."

"The three that were attached were all children," Denzel quietly said, his fingers tightening around Genesis's. "Hojo always used children for his experiments, saying that the corruption of the Planet wasn't as strong with them. When we entered that room, the first one we found, stared at us with such a pleading expression on his face. It wasn't a look that asked us to rescue him. He wanted us to kill him."

"We are no longer there, to kill those with Jenova cells that Hojo manages to capture alive," Genesis continued. "We may have destroyed the boy, but there were still two others, and now that Hojo has found more materia, and built more of these containers..." His voice hitched slightly, but he continued. "It takes one week for fifty to be made, and thats with one creation to a container. With upwards to one hundred containers that he recently built, three in each, and all he needs now is children with Jenova cells, we could be looking at three hundred new creations every week until the emergence of the Weapon." He finished quietly, and looked up to find everyone staring at him with horror.

"Three hundred a week, for a month? Plus the fifty a week from the original ones. That's one thousand new creations," Cloud said quietly, his mind numb with shock. Genesis and Denzel both nodded.

"Not to mention the added ones if this Weapon takes longer then a month to fully grow," Denzel said in a wry voice.

"Or if he decides to make more containers," Maya said quietly, lying her scaly head down to stare at them.

"Add to that the creations that are still out there. We estimated that he had five thousand of them, before you and the clones destroyed roughly half. That's still twenty five hundred creations out there," Marlene added, looking at the female dragon.

"We only have about one thousand of our own troops left," Sephiroth said, frowning. Everyone was silent for a moment as they contemplated the situation. Vincent was the one who summed it up perfectly.

"We're fucked," he said.


	8. Angeal

**Ok, notes. I have a new job, my soul has been addicted to BLEACH, and I'm watching my 2 yr old nephew in pretty much all my spare time. So, I probably won't be posting as often as I used to, but I am determined to finish this story, since their's only maybe 5 chapters left. And finally, I'M SORRY!!! **

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"You know what we need to do," Cloud said quietly, after everyone had left on different missions. Denzel and Genesis had decided to go to Bone, to speak to Rufus and Yuffie, to see if her father could manage to get more troops for them. Marlene and Vincent were flying recon over the crater, along with Maya and Opal. Glaci, Kadaj, Yazoo, Alia, and her wolf Silk were talking to the troops that were stationed at Icicle, telling them what was going on. It wouldn't be to long before they were back, and the three men, and three animals needed to talk things through.

**You've never used your power to that magnitude,** Draco spoke quietly, his emerald eyes bright with concern. Sephiroth sighed, idly playing his fingers over the clenched hand of Cloud, trying to put him at ease.

"Do we have a choice at this point? We need to destroy as many of his creations as possible before the Weapon emerges. We don't need the added complications," Sephiroth said quietly, his voice void of emotion. Zach glanced at him, before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, leaning against the back wall where the bed was. He let himself feel the grain of wood pressing into his scarred back, and then grinned wickedly.

"I have the power to create earthquakes, and from what I felt earlier today, what happened here was only the beginning of what I can do. We know that Seph can call thunderstorms at will, and direct the lightning to wherever he chooses. Cloud now has an unimaginable level of power thanks to the two of us, and not only can we harness our special abilities, but Cloud can also use them at the same time. We have the added power of three Spirit Animals, who once told us that they are reservoirs of our power. Not only do we have this new level of power, but we also have the level of power from them to draw on. Also, if we do agree to do this, you know that the Protectors aren't going to be left behind. Vincent can completely control Chaos, and you all know he is an awesome power. Marlene, Denzel, and Genesis are all 1st Class level, with the fighting skills to go with it. They also have the power to go along with being Protectors. That is seven 1st Class SOLDIER's, four of which have huge power, and three of which could probably destroy the world if they so choose. So what are we arguing about?" Zach asked them, grinning evilly at the startled look on his fellow General's faces. "What? Didn't know I was so smart, did you?" Cloud smirked, an evil gleam entering his eyes.

"Nope, we didn't. I thought I had you all figured out, the lovable buffoon who just happened to fight well, and have power he accidentally figured out how to use," Cloud said, and grinned as Zach looked at him, mock affronted. Zach pounded on his chest, Sephiroth just leaning back against the wall, watching them both with a tolerant smile on his face.

"I'll have you know Spike, that I knew from the beginning how to use my power, and I came to ShinRa a full fledged SOLDIER, ready to take on the General himself!" Zach said loudly, and then his eyes widened and fake tears sprung up as Sephiroth coughed softly, clearly hiding a laugh.

"What?! I can kick your ass…" he trailed off as Sephiroth was suddenly in his face, desire sweeping through him at the passion and amusement weaving in those cat eyes.

"Really? You can kick my ass, Zachary?" Sephiroth purred, and Zach shivered as the vibrations could be felt on his lips. He nodded, trying to smirk even as he swallowed hard.

"Not that I don't like the view gentleman, but we do have serious things to talk about," Cloud said, his hand covering his lower face to hide his broad grin. The blanket had fallen away from Sephiroth, leaving him completely naked as he leaned in close to Zach, and he was really enjoying the view he was now getting. Both pairs of eyes turned towards him, and it was his turn to swallow softly.

**Ugh, enough you three, please,** Aquila said in disgust, and the three men looked at the eagle, smirking slightly.

Zach gave the bird a knowing look, to match the smirk that was now on his face.

"Your jealous Aquila, because you found out something about Opal, didn't you?" The bird said nothing, just turned his head away, and looked at the ground, a 'I don't know what your talking about air', about him. Cloud and Sephiroth instantly grinned, because they recognized the look. Zach did exactly the same thing when he had been found out about something he wanted kept secret, but not really. He would willingly break after a bit of prodding. Their curiosity instantly spiked, and Cloud opened his mouth, but was stopped by Sephiroth, who was staring at the wolf and the dragon.

"Wait, it has to do with all of you, doesn't it?" he asked, his voice mildly amused. His dragon gave him a scathing glare, that he returned, but it was more amused then truly angry. Lupus just looked at him calmly, blinking those bright blue eyes at him, as if to say, 'what?'. It was a look Cloud had since his days as a cadet, before they had gotten together.

"Alright, what is it. If it was something bad, you would have told us already," Cloud reasoned, one eyebrow raising suggestively, as he smirked. "Zach, I think we should know. Not only because we are their Partners, but because it may impact this next battle. Hmmm?" His grin widened as Aquila's head snapped to Zach, beak opening slightly in shock.

**You wouldn't,** Aquila muttered, and it was Sephiroth's turn to grin, his eyes going lazy in sensual anticipation.

"Oh he would, especially if he had the right incentive," then Sephiroth leaned back into Zach, and pressed his lips lightly, teasingly to Zach's, flicking his tongue out in a moist caress along his bottom lip. Then he pulled away, smoothly dragging the blanket over his lap. He then smiled slightly at Zach, who was heavy lidded with desire, and he smirked, glancing towards the eagle.

"It's not that bad, and actually I say it's a good thing," he said, glancing back at Sephiroth. His smirk widened, eyes darkening to a midnight purple as he eyes traveled over the still tousled, naked form of the Silver General, only sitting a foot from him, and his for the taking. "I can't refuse that though, can I?" His voice was deeper, purring, and Sephiroth returned a lazy grin.

"They found out that Glaci, Maya, and Opal can all reproduce," he said, the desire in his eyes strikingly transforming into a quiet happiness. "It was something that Denzel and Genesis found out while still there, after they helped Glaci's pack escape. Hojo had done some genetic work to them, all of them, so they came out female, and with enough differences in the genetic makeup that if they ended up breeding with any of these three, no malformations would come of it." He then gave them a huge smile, that was nothing but beaming happiness. "Glaci and the rest can't be controlled by Hojo, that's why he gave up after making them. Then, Hojo was stupid, and used up all the samples of their cells on the other creations. He went insane when Opal and the eagles, then Maya and her dragons, and finally Glaci and the wolves, got away from him, ripping apart their cells because he deemed it to dangerous to make complete clones again. That's why most of his army is wolves, bird-like creatures, and those huge snakes." He then turned to Lupus, looking at him with a small frown, the entire air of amused teasing, having turned to one of scientific contemplation. Cloud frowned, also looking at Lupus.

"Yes, but some of the wolves are male. I wonder if that's because there's more of them? I mean, It's only Maya and the other one, Opal and her two, but Glaci still has six," he muttered, but then his air of thought was broken when he smirked, raising an eyebrow at the wolf. "I wouldn't doubt if he wanted them all to be female though." He laughed when Lupus growled softly, anger burning in the wolf's eyes.

"So what you're saying is that they can breed, without any complications, and that they are the only ones of their kind, and they can't be controlled by Hojo. Am I correct?" Sephiroth asked with a frown, and Zach blinked. Trust this man to put it all into one simple sentence, instead of his random ramblings.

"Um, yea, exactly that," he said grinning. "It also doesn't help that these three have been drooling over the girls almost non-stop."

"Have you talked to them about this yet?" Sephiroth asked, one eyebrow raised. Lupus lowered his head, a clear sign of embarrassment.

**They were actually the ones that approached us, because Genesis told them first what he had found,** Lupus said quietly, but there was eagerness in his voice that couldn't be ignored. Cloud snickered, before it turned into full blown laughter.

"Lupus has a girlfriend," he said in a sing song voice, not caring that it sounded childish. Sephiroth and Zach joined in his laughter, especially when Draco and Aquila also lowered their heads in embarrassment, even though their eyes were shining with happiness.

"So what are you guys going to do?" Zach asked, after the three had gotten control of their mirth. The three animals shook their heads, the happiness dimming in their eyes, even though it wasn't completely diminished.

**We don't know if we can even breed,** Draco said, **but we hope to have Vincent look us over, since he has the most scientific experience out of everyone. He should be able to tell us whether or not we can actually mate. **Zach was trying not to laugh, because what Draco had said wasn't funny, but he couldn't stop the thoughts that were going through his head.

"You know Draco," he said conversationally, grinning wickedly. "Isn't the other dragon with Maya a female too?" Draco gave him a startled look, before narrowing his eyes dangerously.

**So what if she is? **The dragon growled softly, and it was Sephiroth's turn to chock on his laughter.

"Oh my," Sephiroth said, lacing his fingers together in his lap, not bothering to hide his wide grin. "Draco gets two girls all to himself. Poor Lupus and Aquila. They only get one each, because if I'm not mistaken, the two eagles that were with Opal are a male and a female, and they have already mated, right?" His voice was dripping with amusement, his jade eyes glittering. Lupus and Aquila glared at their clearly embarrassed brother, as Draco ducked his head down even farther, his nose almost touching the floor.

**Lucky bastard,** Lupus growled, but it was good natured. Aquila nudged the dragon with his beak, hard enough that Draco staggered slightly, much to the amusement of the men on the bed.

**You really are a lucky bastard. Even if we can't reproduce, we can still mate, and you get two! You suck brother,** Aquila ended, and let out a soft chirp of surprise when Draco snapped his teeth about two inches from the birds eye, making him almost fall over. It sent the men into gales of laughter, even as Draco glared at the bird.

**You really think that Maya is going to share? **He growled, and turned his glare to the men, as their laughter only deepened.

"Awww Draco," Cloud said, trying to calm his laughter enough to speak. "All you have to do is turn on the charm, and I'm sure she'll agree. Just imagine what a threesome"- Draco roared at him, effectively cutting off his words, though it didn't diminish the wide grin on his face.

**Ok, that's enough of this talk. You know our secret, so now we need to concentrate on what were going to do, before the rest of our group gets back**, Lupus said, lying down on the floor with his paws crossed in front of him. Draco sighed, clearly still embarrassed, but he lay down on the floor as well, shifting his wings for a moment, before settling down. Aquila only settled down, his claws making screeching noises on the wood as he tensed them. The three men gathered themselves, but even with the knowledge of what they were probably going to do, couldn't deflate the sense of happiness that they felt. They knew that if they died, their animals would follow them, but hopefully they could breed, and then the world could be populated with smaller versions of them. It will be interesting, Cloud thought as he took Sephiroth hand, that if they did indeed survive this Final Battle, that a couple generations down the line, they could be seeing the offspring of their animals co-existing along with the humans of the Planet. He smiled as he thought about it, a sense of hope filling his heart.

He glanced at his fellow Generals, wondering about something. He wondered if only the three of them could go to the crater, leaving the animals behind to give them a chance to be with their new loves. The thought was immediately discarded as Lupus glanced at him, the look telling him that the wolf knew exactly what was going on in his mind. He grinned at him, and then shook his head ruefully. He knew that the animals wouldn't let them go alone.

"How deep is your power?" Sephiroth asked him, running his thumb over his knuckles, turning his head to look at him. Cloud sighed, and decided that right now would be a perfect time to experiment. He had never gone very deep into his power, the deepest he went was when he had gotten the weapons from Hojo. Taking a deep breath, he released Sephiroth's hand, and firmly shut the doors between them, not wanting the two to get swept away in the power before he had achieved control. Then he began a controlled dive inside himself, feeling the power lick along his skin as he dived, almost like real fire. He kept going deeper, until he reached a point where he began to lose control, so he stopped, hovering inside his own mind, looking around at the blue and black flames that surrounded him. Taking deep breaths, he felt something shift in his mind as he gained control of this level, and the iron hard control that had been beaten into him by SOLDIER took effect. He floated in the flames, but they were outside his mind, and he controlled them utterly. Feeling confident, he slowly went deeper, stopping every now and then to regain control. Each time he did, he felt the strength of his power trying to consume him, and every time, something shifted and his iron grip wrapped around the flames, making them bend to his will.

Sephiroth and Zach had scrambled off the bed when Cloud had started glowing, the flames steadily increasing in brightness and height. They didn't want to accidentally be drawn into what he was doing, knowing that what Cloud was doing right now, was only testing this new level of power, to make sure he could control it. Every time Cloud had to hesitate to regain control, the black of the flames pulsed brighter, almost overtaking the blue. Then something shifted, and the black went back to only being on the edges. They glanced at Lupus, who was watching Cloud with narrowed eyed concentration, his eyes the only thing on fire. It was clear to them that Lupus was helping with the control, but that was fine, because as the animals had said, they were their Ignis Anima's, or Spirit Fire. They were the physical manifestations of their power, so it would make sense that the animals would be able to help them control it better. Cloud let out a loud gasp, and his eyes flew open, and all Sephiroth and Zach could do was stare.

Cloud found the depth of his power, and as he gained complete control over it, feeling the presence of Lupus helping, he gasped as a shockwave echoed through his mind, and the flames surrounding him began to roar. They started spinning around him like a tornado, and he smirked, his eyes flying open. He felt his body rising off the bed, and saw the shocked looks he was getting from the others in the barn, but it was distant. He glanced upwards, and saw that his fire was reaching the ceiling, and easily spread ten feet in a roaring circle. He was utterly calm, his body limp inside the ball of fire, and he looked at Sephiroth, and eased his body into a standing position.

"Lover," he said, and wasn't even surprised at the deepness of his own voice. "Show me your power." It was a command, and Sephiroth took it as one. He immediately closed his eyes, and it didn't take long for his green edged white flame to reach the height of Clouds, licking the ceiling and harmlessly covering Draco, who he was standing next to. Cloud felt a slight bit of surprise when Sephiroth opened his eyes, beginning to float off the ground just like Cloud was. Sephiroth's eyes were a pure, pale green, no blue to speak of, like how they were normally. He couldn't deny to himself how damn attractive the man was, his silver hair flowing around him like a waterfall, each strand seeming to be coated in pearl white flame. It was how the man had looked when he first was taken over by Jenova, because even his nails were glowing with the same pearly flame. Cloud looked down at his own hands, and realized that his own fingernails were also glowing, but with a pure blue flame. He then smiled slightly, feeling the utter concentration coming from Lupus. He wasn't surprised that his wolf was helping him with his control. Then something shivered through the ground, and he could feel the vibrations even though he wasn't touching the floor. He looked at Zach, and raised an eyebrow slightly. Zach was smirking broadly at both he and Sephiroth, his body already hovering above the ground, enclosed in his deep purple flames. Cloud smiled slightly, and had to give compliments to Angeal, for the way he had trained Zach.

_Speaking about me? How rude,_ a male voice spoke in his mind, and he twitched so violently that he lost his control, and the fire winked out of existence around him. He fell with a soft thump on the bed, completely disoriented as he looked around with glazed eyes. Who the fuck was that? He thought, watching Sephiroth and Zach as they slowly drew their power back inside of themselves, floating down to land lightly on the ground. He took the few moments that they used to get comfortable back in their own bodies, and spoke to that presence that was still floating around in his consciousness.

_Who the hell are you?_ He asked, and the voice chuckled softly. Zach and Sephiroth immediately snapped their heads up, eyes widening in disbelief.

"Angeal?" Zach asked quietly, his voice soft.

"The one and only, puppy," Angeal said quietly, stepping out of the shadows of the barn, a broad grin on his face as the three looked at him in complete surprise. Zach was the first one to snap out of it, launching his body towards the other man, pouncing on him from only a foot away, and sending them both tumbling backwards into the shadows. Sephiroth walked over to Cloud, and gracefully handed him a pair of pants, as he himself put his own on. Cloud slid off the bed, and put his own pants on, before the two linked hands, and walked over to where the two men were wrestling around in the dark, laughter and soft grunts being heard when a blow landed. The two watched in amusement, their animals behind them with the same look, as the two finally came apart, sitting on the ground with huge smiles on their faces.

"Ok, I don't mean to ruin the mood, but how are you here Angeal?" Sephiroth asked, letting go of Cloud's hand and reaching out both of his own to help the other men to their feet. They both took the offered hand, and stood, dusting themselves off. Cloud smirked at Zach, and since he was completely naked still, he had pieces of dirt, mud, hay, and who knows what else sticking to the sweat of his body.

"Zach, you're going to need a bath before you get clothed," Cloud said, grinning slightly. Zach blushed softly, before scratching the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.

"Alright, I'll go get a bath, and I'll be back," he said, walking off towards the small bathroom they had installed in the barn, off in the corner. The three waited for the door to shut, before the General's turned back to look at Angeal, identical looks of suspicion on their faces.

"You were wondering how I'm here, right?" Angeal asked, leaning against a beam and crossing his arms over his chest. "Aeris decided that you could use some help in controlling this new power. She spoke to the Elder Ancients for me, and they sent me back, until after the Final Battle. With this upcoming battle, you're going to need all the help you can get." He sighed, and uncrossed his arms, pushing away from the beam and striding towards them. Sephiroth noticed that his friend looked decidedly odd without the huge Buster Sword resting against his back, but his sword was now at the end of the bed. Well, kind of, he thought to himself. The sword at the end of the bed was actually the black one, and Angeal's sword was still in the meeting place attached to the barn.

"What do you mean, all the help we can get? We know that were going to be outnumbered, but we have seven 1st Class level SOLDIER's here with us. Like Zach said, the three of us could probably destroy the world if we so choose. So why would we need the extra help?" Cloud asked, his brows drawing together in a frown. Angeal gave him a long suffering look, that made Sephiroth cover a grin with one hand. It was the look that he would often give Zach, when their fellow General was being particularly dense.

"Do you not understand the magnitude of the feat you're trying to take on, with only 1,000 fellow troops? Did Aeris not tell you that Hojo has been hiding the majority of his creations inside the crater?" He growled at the shocked looked from both of them, then shook his head, sighing. "I guess not. You believe that there are roughly 2,500 troops currently that you have to face. The true number at the moment is closer to 5,000. He has been keeping the majority of his creations enclosed in sleep, inside the various caverns in the Crater. Neither Denzel or Genesis knew this, because Hojo knew who they were when they entered the Crater. The only reason that damn scientist accepted them in, was because he wanted to figure out how the hell they had their wings, since they didn't bother to hide them. Hojo kept many things from them, and them finding out about the Weapon was completely on accident. Genesis"-

"Angeal?" a soft voice asked from the entrance of the barn, and the three turned, to see Denzel and Genesis standing at the door, a look of shocked wonder on the face of Genesis. Denzel was only confused. Angeal smiled gently at the slender man who started walking towards them, holding out his hands. With something that sounded like a sob, Genesis flung himself into Angeal's arms, and then began to cry in earnest.

"I'm so sorry Angeal, I never meant to get you involved. I didn't know what else to do, and I completely ruined your life when I used our friendship to manipulate you into joining me. I'm so sorry!" Genesis said in a quick tirade, broken up by soft hitching in his words. Angeal only hushed him, closing his own eyes and laying the side of his head on the top of Genesis. He kept stroking the slender mans back as Genesis continued to cry, saying 'I'm sorry' over and over again, his hands clenched into fists in Angeal shirt.

"Gen," Angeal said quietly, and Sephiroth and Cloud took hands, as Denzel draped himself over the back of Cloud, his arms crossed over Cloud's shoulders. Cloud glanced at him, expecting to see jealously, or something of the sort, but was pleasantly surprised when all he saw was understanding and compassion. It was obvious that in the year they had been together, by themselves up at the Crater, Genesis had told Denzel all about him and Angeal, and what had happened between them. While Cloud didn't really know the details, he knew that Sephiroth and Zach had made peace with their fellow 1st while they were both in the Lifestream. Cloud had joined that elite team to late to meet Angeal, and had only experienced brief encounters with Genesis, when he was still "off the path", as Sephiroth described. Since Genesis had never been in the Lifestream, he wasn't able to talk to Angeal, but once he came out, he was able to make peace with both Zach and Sephiroth. Seeing the two of them embracing, a look of understanding on Angeal's face, and the look of utter desolation on Genesis's, you could clearly see that Genesis felt he had wronged Angeal more then anyone else, which was true.

"Genesis, you never manipulated me into anything," Angeal said quietly, smiling slightly when Genesis brought his head up slowly, a small flicker of hope in his pale blue eyes. Angeal stroked the side of his face, still smiling that slight, gentle smile. "Anything that I did, I did because I wanted to. I joined with you because I wanted to help you, because you are one of my best friends. Besides," he said, his grin turning slightly more arrogant. "You know better then most if I really don't want to do something, I won't. Where do you think Zach and Sephiroth got their stubbornness?" Something invisible lifted off Genesis, and he looked younger and more self-assured then he had since he had first dropped out of that sphere.

"You taught me about being stubborn?" Zach asked, walking out of the bathroom with a pair of black jeans on, still unbuttoned, and toweling dry his hair. He gave Angeal a smirk, raising an eyebrow. "Oh Angel, you got all your stubbornness from me." Angeal opened his mouth, his dark blue eyes snapping in annoyance and amusement, but Sephiroth spoke up.

"Oh please Angeal," he said, smirking and flicking his hair behind his shoulder in an arrogant gesture. "You were a pussy when we first met. Genesis had you wrapped around his little finger. You didn't get that stubborn until you met me." They all laughed, except Angeal, who now had his arms crossed over his chest, glaring around at everyone.

"Fine, laugh it up," he muttered, and Genesis walked away from him, at the same moment that Denzel lifted himself off Cloud. They came together easily, Denzel wrapping his arms around the shoulders of the smaller man, and Genesis raised his hands to grasp the forearms across his chest. Angeal rose a single eyebrow, and walked over to them, extending a hand.

"You must be Denzel," he said, and Denzel nodded, extending his hand so they could both shake. Cloud blinked, realizing that Denzel was taller then Angeal, by about two inches, which made him taller then Sephiroth. He grinned at the realization, and Sephiroth looked at him in question, but he only shook his head.

"You would never know that you are technically a young adult, not even eighteen yet." Denzel only shrugged, but it was Zach and Genesis both who turned their heads to look at him. It was true. The experiments, the things that he and Marlene had seen, had aged them. The experiments had made them grow, true, but when they had first been rescued, they had not looked like they do now. Their eyes were dark with the things that they had seen, things that they had done. None of them looked any older then 25, but they all had something in their eyes that showed their experiences, making them seem older then they looked.

"We have much to discuss," Sephiroth said quietly, and the atmosphere in the barn changed dramatically. It went from a pleasant, friendly one, to suddenly serious and alert.

"I still believe that Vincent said it the best," Zach piped up, his voice its usually cheerful, bouncy self. The look in his eyes was anything but. "We're fucked."


	9. Honor

**First off: I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry!!!!!! I know it's been a long time coming, but i've been really busy. No excuse, I know, but I got it done! Yay! Ok, Zach and Cloud finally do their thing, with just the two of them. Enjoy! Oh, and I don't own the songs that are featured. **

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Zach wandered through the town, silent as a ghost, after having escaped the barn and the lively conversation that was now flowing between Angeal, Sephiroth, and Cloud. It was too…weird, to see his mentor here in the flesh. When he had been dragged out of the Lifestream, protesting violently, by Sephiroth, he had never expected to see Angeal again until they were back in the pulsing green stream. Now that he was here, on Aerith's orders nonetheless, he wasn't sure what to feel. The majority of his time in SOLDIER, he had been living underneath Angeal's shadow. Now he was a General, technically of higher rank then his old mentor, had been through more things then even Angeal had witnessed in the Wutai War, and had been fighting in his own war for the past year. He frowned, and kicked a stone, not even acknowledging the snow that was melting on his mako heated skin. He had used everything his mentor had taught him, and had become the hero that Angeal had wanted. So why did he feel like giving it all up? He wanted to put the mantle of General that Angeal had helped him earn, on the broad shoulders of his mentor. He didn't want to be a General anymore.

He stopped, and finally looked up into the sky, finally feeling the snow that was melting on his skin. His face was somber, an expression that was unusual on his face, staring up into the cloud covered sky. It was rare that he let his true feelings show on his face, since for as long as he could remember, he was always the happy one. He had always been the one who was behind those who said they couldn't do it, pushing them and caroling them, making them believe in themselves, with the force of his own belief. He had been fine in his role, until the day that Angeal had forced him to kill him. That day, when Angeal had pressed the hilt of the Buster Sword into his hand, telling him to keep his dreams, his dreams had died, and no one had known. Then Cloud had become a 1st, at long last, and he suddenly had something to live for. To see Sephiroth, the ever icy General, melt under just a gaze from Cloud, had given Zach some satisfaction. He had known, seeing how the General was slowly beginning to learn to be human, because of him and Cloud, that he was at least living a dream of Angeal's, and it had kept him going.

Growling, he tried to fight off the memories that were pressing for him to acknowledge them, leaning against a cold, wooden wall as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, hating the burn of tears in them. No matter how much he tried to deny them, images kept flashing in his mind. Angeal's body melting into green light, Cloud being run through with Masamune, Sephiroth falling into the burning pit of Lifestream, so far below. The tears finally fell as the images of Cloud flashed through his mind, interspersed with flashes of light off Hojo's glasses, and the never ending despair he had felt while they had been repeatedly tortured, experimented on, and anything else the damn scientist could do to them. Then the pain of bullets piercing his skin and organs, and then the peace that had suffused him when he had died. Peace, and a blinding sense of regret and despair, that he was leaving the one person on the Planet that had truly needed him. And it all came back to Angeal. His memory was what had kept Zach going, his face the one he would always see when the thoughts of suicide became overwhelming. Now he was back, and Zach had no idea what to feel, what to do.

He sat on the cold, snow covered ground, staring blankly at the ground between his knees. He knew what they needed to do, but they didn't have enough troops to warrant a full scale assault. Between the war with Wutai, then Meteor, and then the Geostigma, the Planet was worse for wear. When this war started, Rufus had done a census of the entire planet, trying to gauge how many troops they could expect. It had been pitiful, how many humans there were left on this rock. Maybe 500,000 people were left alive, and half of those were children. So 250,000 adults. Subtract the elderly, those disabled and unable to fight, and those that needed to take care of the children and protect the cities from the Creation Army, as it was dubbed by the average people, and they were left with roughly 10,000 people that could fight. Could, not would. Many people flocked to ShinRa when they heard Cloud was a General, and would be leading the armies, and thankfully ShinRa hadn't let it be known that it was Sephiroth, the great Silver General himself that had been the cause of Meteor. Many more people refused to fight when they heard that it was the ShinRa Company, back and reformed, that Cloud and Sephiroth were working for. Everyone was so caught up in the past deeds of Rufus's father, that no one even cared that Rufus had reformed the company to fight this new war, and the man was truly hell bent on making up for the past misdeeds of his company. At the beginning of the war, a little more then a year ago, they had roughly 8,000 troops, the Wutai Yuffie had managed to get accounted for. They were down to, at last count, 1,244 people willing to fight.

Roughly shoving his hands into his hair, Zach squeezed his eyes shut, breath hitching as he fought the tears. How many men had he not been able to save? How many times had he watched someone who had giving their loyalty and trust to him, bleed out onto already bloody ground? He chuckled humorlessly to himself, as he thought back to the brief time he was involved in the Wutai War. He had been blinded by ShinRa, SOLDIER, and his own desire to become a hero. He had never questioned his orders, ever. The Wutai were savages he had been told, that had killed countless of his fellow men in cold-blood. He had never been told the reason why the war had started, nor had he cared. He had been alive with the zeal of SOLDIER, the powerful mako that had burned in his system, making him what SOLDIER was truly about. In the end, none of it had mattered. He had seen his fellow warriors die next to him, and he believed they had died for the honor of SOLDIER, the honor that Angeal had always preached to him about. He didn't open his eyes when familiar footsteps stopped next to him.

"There is no honor in war, in SOLDIER," he said quietly, his voice ringing with his conviction. His sense of honor had died while he was in the Lifestream, and it had never come back. He only fought now because it was needed. Hojo and his creations would destroy the Planet, and everyone who fought knew that. He smiled slightly as Angeal sat against the building across from him, and he briefly raised his eyes, shocked once again at the purely physical presence of his mentor.

"What do you fight for, Zachary Fair?" Angeal asked quietly, and Zach closed his eyes, resting his forearms on his upraised knees.

"I fight for those who can't protect themselves," he began quietly, eyes still closed as images of his slain troops passed through his mind. "I fight because I have no choice."

"There is always a choice, Zach," was the reply, and he opened his eyes slightly, staring at the fine black hairs on his arms. "When everything went to hell after you and Sephiroth came back, you decided to fight for ShinRa. Why?"

"I don't fight for ShinRa," Zach said harshly, his voice laced with angry hatred. He snapped his mouth shut, breathing deeply to try and dispel the roiling emotions inside him. Angeal only sat there, with a patient expression on his face. "Truthfully, the only ones I'm fighting for are Cloud and Sephiroth. If we don't fight together, we'll lose in the end. Besides, if something happened to either one of them, I would never forgive myself. I would always think that if I had been there, I could have done something to save them. That is the reason why I fight. I don't want to see the two people I love the most die, because I was being a coward."

"No one would think you a coward if you chose not to fight, Zach," Angeal said mildly, and fought back a grin when Zach snapped his head up, glaring at him.

"I would! I am a SOLDIER, trained to fight since I was fourteen. You said yourself I was a natural," he pointed out, a bit of his mirth coming back with the last sentence. Angeal just waited as his eyes dulled again, and he went back to staring at his arms. "I left the Planet once with regrets. I don't want to do it again."

"What regrets?" Angeal said quietly. "You made sure Cloud stayed alive while you were with Hojo. You never gave into your own suicidal thoughts, knowing that Cloud was relying on your strength as well." Zach scoffed quietly, and Angeal frowned, sensing that his one-time student was drawing deeper into himself. "You saved me, you know. I had no desire to continue my life like I was. You saved Sephiroth's sanity, if not his body. You brought him Cloud, Zach. You. You made him realize that despite what had been done to him, he was human. It was you, your deeds and actions, that even allowed him to enter the Lifestream. That allowed the two of you to come back and save Cloud. What do you have to regret?"

"I killed you," Zach hissed, and Angeal blinked in surprise, almost flinching with the self-hatred in those three words. "I kept Cloud alive because I didn't want to be alone, and I was to much of a chicken shit to take my own life. I failed Sephiroth in Nibelheim, and I failed Cloud again when we escaped. I promised him we would make it to Midgar, make a life for the two of us. I died on him. It doesn't matter that I died protecting him. I still left him, when he was so fucking fragile from the time with Hojo. You ask me what I have to regret. You ask a very stupid question."

They sat there in silence for a couple minutes, before Angeal sighed, and stood, looking into the dawn sky.

"Then I'll go tell your fellow Generals not to expect you back," he said, and kept his face composed when Zach once again snapped his head up, glaring.

"No!", he said loudly, then shook his head, standing. "No, there's no reason for you to tell them that. Like I said, I will fight for them. I will do what I came back to do." Angeal smiled slightly.

"What did you come back for, Zachary?" he asked quietly, and actually blinked in fear as Zach turned cold, merciless, glowing eyes to him.

"I came back to save Cloud," he said calmly. "I will do that, even if it means sacrificing myself."

----------

"I will not ask what remains of our troops to fight," Cloud said quietly, and Sephiroth nodded his agreement.

"Even with us on their side, they probably wouldn't live, not with the almost 10,000 creations Hojo has stashed in the Crater," Kadaj said, from his seat between Glaci's paws. Everyone was gathered in the barn, since Vincent and Marlene had come back from Bone with the dawn.

"What do you propose then?" Vincent asked mildly. Cloud and Sephiroth only smiled.

"We confront Hojo ourselves," Sephiroth said, and the room instantly went silent.

"With only us?" Marlene queried, and paled when the two Generals nodded.

"As Zach said earlier," Cloud said, nodding towards the oddly silent Zach, who inclined his head in return. "With Angeal, we now have nine 1st Class SOLDIER's, and the three of us could probably end the world with the powers we now have. Vincent has Chaos, so he is equal, or higher then a 1st. We have our three animals, and each one of them has fearsome powers, and then there are the ones that escaped from Hojo on our side as well. I don't see why any of you would have a problem going in there with just us. Actually, it would work to our benefit, because we all know how hard each of us is to kill." His light joke was met with small smiles all around, before the atmosphere sobered again.

"It is a good idea," Glaci said suddenly, causing everyone to look at her. "There is no need to risk the normal humans lives. They would only be in the way."

"First things first," Angeal suddenly spoke up, and everyone turned to him with waiting eyes. He stood, and walked through the seated people, scrutinizing them. The only ones who didn't flinch under that gaze were Genesis, Sephiroth, and Cloud. Even Zach twitched.

"Sleep and food for now," he said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Sephiroth opened his mouth to protest, but closed it at the hard look he got. "Hojo needs time to wake up the other troops down there, and that is going to take awhile. Since you all look like starved dogs, you need to eat and sleep. Regain your strength while Hojo frantically runs around trying to get his numbers back up. It will be awhile before he attacks again, anyway. He suffered a great loss." Everyone nodded, and tension eased out of the group. They had all been expecting to jump right back into battle, and he gave harsh looks to Genesis and Sephiroth. This time, they both flinched under his gaze. "Everyone, go get food." Everyone rose, including the animals, but he caught the arms of Sephiroth and Genesis as they made to walk past him. They sighed, Zach chuckled slightly, and Cloud gave them a confused look before the three old friends finally had the barn to themselves. Swiftly, he smacked them both on the top of their heads. He smirked as they only rubbed the top of their heads, glaring at him. For a long time, he had been the only one who could do that, and survive. He had been the one to get them through some tough spots though. For all his analytical, logical nature, Sephiroth ranked right up there with Genesis in being hotheaded, when goaded enough. And Genesis knew how to goad the silver haired man.

"Did the suspension from life the two of you experienced do something to your brain?" he said mildly, and they both blinked. "Were you really planning on rushing back out there so soon?" He scrubbed his face with his hands when they both gave him a sheepish look.

"Seph, you saw Cloud. He's like a walking skeleton, and you and Zach are hardly any better," he scolded, making Sephiroth look down at himself critically, Genesis looking as well. "And Genesis." The red head twitched, giving Angeal puppy dog eyes in the hope his scolding would be lessened. Even after all this time, Angeal was immune to it. Between Zach and Genesis, he had gotten very adept at ignoring eyes like that. "You're a Protector. That doesn't mean just in battle. It's your job to make sure they make it to the Final Battle. How are they, or the other Protectors going to do that, if they don't take care of themselves? The four of you are almost as bad as the Generals. Did you two learn nothing in the Wutai War?" They finally blushed and looked down, and Angeal had to marvel at the changes in them. If he had dressed them down like that before, he would have gotten a coolly arrogant look from Sephiroth, and an angry, stubborn look from Genesis. But Sephiroth truly had learned what it was like to be human, faults and all, and Genesis had finally learned humility. Thank you Denzel, Angeal thought with a sigh.

"As much as everyone hates it, especially in a war, sometimes breaks are needed," he said quietly, and they both nodded, sighing. He grinned, raising his hands and patting them on the cheeks hard enough that it caused them both to glare at him. "Now, let's go see if we can empty the alcohol stores, shall we?" All three smirked, looking at each other, then walking out of the barn. It had been a long time since they had gotten drunk together.

----------

Cloud hadn't laughed so hard in his life. Not once had he ever seen his lover drunk. Never. Yet there he was, on the bar with Angeal and Genesis, the three of them taking turns singing the songs that randomly came over the jukebox. Sephiroth had yet to sing a song by himself, but he did join in on the chorus. From what Cloud could hear, as he took his ninth shot of the night, he had a really good voice. Each original 1st had already downed a fifth of liquor each, and were working on their seconds. Genesis finished the song Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake to cheers and screams from the gathered crowd. He bowed a little unsteadily, his now shoulder length hair sweeping around him. Cloud decided it was his chance, and he stood, walked over to the bar, and hopped on it. He took the mike from Sephiroth, and smirked at him as the crowd hushed, waiting to see what he would say. He looked straight at Zach, grinning from ear to ear.

"Your singing with me, Zachary," he said, and Zach groaned, even though he laughed and took the mike from Angeal. The three hopped down off the bar, until it was only Zach and Cloud, and he looked over to the man that was controlling the jukebox.

"Is there Andrew W.K. on there?" he asked, and after a moment, the man nodded. He smirked, and looked right at Zach. "We want fun." Zach grinned, and after a moment the happy beat started, the two men beginning to jump up and down on the bar, hair swinging wildly as they started yelling the lyrics. Soon most of the bar joined in, even if they didn't know the lyrics. They were drunk enough that they made up their own lyrics, except for one line. "We wanna have fun, and we wanna get wasted!" It set the theme for the night, and it wasn't until two hours later that everyone stumbled away from the bar, arms swung over each other as they sung snatches of the songs that were played. Sephiroth, Cloud, and Zach made it back to the barn, messily kissing each other in-between fits of laughter, but when the three fell on the bed, the intention of having a night of amazing drunken sex filling all three heads, they passed out instantly.

----------

"Ugh," Sephiroth said quietly, lying with his face pressed to the cold stone of the barn floor. He had forgotten what it was like to wake up with a hangover, and he remembered exactly why he had stopped drinking like that.

"Morning Sir," Angeal's voice rang out, and Sephiroth winced, opening one bloodshot eye to glare at his former subordinate. He had also forgotten that it was a Banora trait to be able to hold their liquor, and not get hangovers. He groaned again when Genesis joined Angeal, the two of them smirking down at him. Then Cloud came into view, arms crossed over his chest and trying to fight back a huge smile.

"Having problems, love?" Cloud asked, and Sephiroth managed to get one hand up, and flick off his lover, to laughter all around, that only made his head hurt worse. "Oh you poor baby." Cloud sat down cross-legged at his head, and gently pulled Sephiroth's head into his lap, running his fingers through the silver hair. A water bottle was pressed into his hand, and he knew by the fresh, spring smell that it was Zach that was now sitting next to him. He cracked an eye open, and looked at his fellow General, grinning slightly. Zach had his head in his palms, slowly rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"At least I'm not the only one," he muttered, his grin spreading when Zach glared at him from between his fingers. He took a small drink of the cold water, trying not to move his head to much, since Cloud's fingers were working magic for his headache. Then the smell of freshly cooked food came to him, and his stomach grumbled loudly. He immediately sat up, looking around for the source of the smell. He saw Denzel and Vincent both walking into the barn with trays piled with food, and he swallowed the drool that was threatening. He crossed his legs, keeping his eyes mostly shut until the barn door closed, cutting off the blinding sunlight that had streamed in. Cloud shifted until he was sitting next to him, and Zach did the same on his other side. The others ranged around the two trays of food, and as soon as everyone was settled, they dug in.

"Mmmm," Zach hummed, his head on Sephiroth's right thigh, eyes closed and face peaceful. Cloud had an identical look on his face, where his head was on the other thigh. Sephiroth reached for one of the last biscuits, and obligingly fed Cloud a piece when he opened his mouth. Eating the rest, Sephiroth allowed his eyes to close, the yeasty, fresh taste of the biscuit a perfect counterpart to the sweet coffee sitting before him.

"That was delicious," Denzel said, sprawled on his back with his arms behind his head. Genesis nodded, his body sprawled out as well, his head resting in the hollow of Denzel's hip. Angeal and Vincent only mumbled an agreement. Angeal was on his back too, looking like the perfect country boy with his hands under his head, and chewing on a piece of straw. Vincent was leaning back on his elbows, his red eyes barely open as they all rested in peaceful, stuffed silence.

"Thank you Angeal," Vincent spoke up, causing the man to raise his head in question. Vincent smiled slightly, yawning and revealing his sharp canines. "You had a good idea, making us slow down and take a break. I think we all needed it." Angeal only gave him a grin, something wicked lighting in his eyes as he glanced to Genesis.

"Hey Gen, you remember the first time you got drunk?" he said, and Genesis sat bolt upright, even as Sephiroth began to laugh.

"Don't you dare," Genesis growled warningly. Angeal gave him a lazy smirk, and looked at a curious Denzel.

"You want to hear it, right?" Denzel nodded, and Genesis huffed in acceptance, his face already bright red as he buried it in Denzel's chest.

"Oh it can't be that bad, hun," Denzel said, stroking the mostly black hair of Genesis. The man turned his burning face up, and scowled.

"Wanna bet?"

----------

"You…" Denzel tried to say something, but laughter kept bubbling up in his chest. He waved an apologetic hand at his lover, who was glaring at him with a smile tugging his lips. He got control of himself, and took a deep breath. "You got drunk, and decided it would be a good idea to scare the oh so straight Rufus ShinRa, by running into his office naked. But you got naked at the bar. Below the plate. Do I have this right?" Genesis nodded, before beginning to laugh too.

"It may not have been the best idea, but drunk or not I still remember the look on Rufus's face when I busted into his office. I think I told him something like 'I've been waiting for you', or something like that," Genesis admitted, now laughing just as hard as the rest.

"Man," Zach got out finally, his voice breathless. "That would have been a sight to see." Genesis gave him an amused look, smirking.

"At least it took me getting drunk to run through the Tower naked," he said, pointing a finger at Zach, who was bright red. "You ran though the Tower naked on a dare from Reno."

"Hey now, I got 300 gil for that!" Zach protested.

"Did you get gil for the time you decided to go monkey in the trees in Wutai?" Sephiroth said mildly, rubbing his arm and laughing when Zach punched him. "You made it through two vines before you grabbed a snake, thinking it was a vine. You completely freaked out."

"Hey Seph," Genesis said, looking slyly at Angeal. "Don't forget the time when our burly 1st here tried to learn ballet." Everything was silent as they all stared at Angeal, who was red down past the collar of his shirt, before everyone started laughing again.

"Don't forget the time when our great General here fell down the side of a mountain," Angeal said, grinning at the now chagrined Sephiroth. Cloud looked up at his lover, grinning.

"You have to tell that story," he said, and Sephiroth sighed, glaring at Angeal who was only smirking at him.

"I slipped on a rock, and went down, simple as that," he said, and Angeal shook his head.

"What he's not telling you is that he got scared from a rabbit jumping from its hole. He shrieked, pulled out his sword, and went tumbling down the mountain. By the time he reached the bottom, he looked like a woodland creature himself, covered in mud and sticks. What really made it funny was him trying to get out of the mud hole, while still trying to hold onto his dignity. You've never seen something funnier then Sephiroth trying to play it calm and cool while floundering around in the mud." Everyone got a good laugh out of that, and it slowly died down, smiles on everyone's faces as they looked around. Angeal sighed happily, and leaned back on his hands.

"I'm glad Aeris sent me back," he said quietly.

"I'm glad too," Zach said from his place on Sephiroth's thigh. Angeal looked at him and smiled slightly as everyone nodded their agreement. The rest of the day passed calmly for all of them, as did the couple days after that. Everyone put on the weight they had lost, and caught up on the sleep they had been missing. The end of the week got there, and Zach and Cloud found that they had spare time, with just the two of them. Sephiroth and Angeal were out observing the animals as they trained with each other, and the four Protectors were flying circuits around the Crater, looking for any sort of movement from Hojo. So it was, that Zach found Cloud in the loft, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head, his right leg crossed over the other, foot tapping to a beat in the blonds head. He raised his head slightly to see who was walking towards him, and went back to relaxing when he saw it was Zach. The other man settled down next to him, and Cloud blinked at the warm hand that was lightly placed on his chest. He looked over at Zach, and felt desire coiling in his body at the lazy look his was getting.

"Did I ever tell you," Zach began, pinching the zipper in his fingers, and slowly dragging it down Cloud's chest, revealing the scarred expanse slowly. "How fucking sexy I think you are?" Cloud only smiled, and swiftly plunged his hands into the thick black hair, bringing their lips together for a scorching kiss. In the midst of the kiss, he shifted their bodies until he was pressed between Zach's legs, their lips having never left the others. Cloud pulled back, and smiled lazily down at Zach, running a thumb over the swollen, moist lips. He smoothed his palms down the black t-shirt Zach was wearing, and grabbing the bottom, he lifted it over his head, with a little help. Zach lay back down on the hard wood floor, and repressed a shiver as the blazing blue eyes roamed over the expanse of his chest. He did shiver when gentle lips were placed over one of the bad scars that went across his ribs, lightly running his fingers through the blond spikes, his shoulders, anywhere he could touch. Somehow, with his mind being overrun with pleasure, he was able to get Cloud's shirt off his upper body. After that, all he could do was lie there as Cloud placed his hands on narrow his hips, and his lips and tongue continued to trace the network of old and new scars that covered the majority of his body. His back arched slightly as he hissed, Cloud lightly scraping his nails over his ribs, his lips pulling and tugging on Zach's nipples.

Cloud had to grin at the small, helpless noises of pleasure he was getting from Zach, each noise shooting through him and straight to his groin, erect and straining against the fly of his jeans. He brought his head up when one of those noises sounded like a sob, and his face softened as he saw the tears coming from Zach's eyes. He placed his hands on Zach's face, rubbing the tears away with his thumbs. His eyes opened slightly, and Cloud smiled at him.

"Why the tears?" he asked quietly, and instead of turning his face away like Cloud thought would happen, he opened his eyes fully, letting the blond see the anguish that was burning in those violet eyes.

"I came back for you," Zach whispered, and Cloud frowned slightly. "Now I'm being told that you have to die to save the world. If that's the case, then the world can go to hell. I'm not letting you die." His voice was harsh, and Cloud smiled sadly, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Zach, I don't plan on dying that easily," he said, and pressed a finger to his lips when Zach opened his mouth to say something. "But if it's going to happen that way, I'm not going to let anyone else die trying to save me from a fate that no one can change." Zach reached up and brought his head down for a desperate kiss.

"I'm not going to let you die," he whispered, and before Cloud could say something, Zach was kissing him again, the salty taste of his tears mixing with the pure, earthy taste of Zach. Their movements became frantic, as they quickly stripped the other of the last bit of clothing, and Zach gasped, arching his back as Cloud slid two fingers inside of him, digging his nails into his shoulders. Cloud pressed kisses to his neck and chest, moving his fingers gently in and out, stretching the man below him. He found that spot, and Zach cried out, blood being drawn where Zach dug his nails in.

"Please Cloud," Zach gasped out, and Cloud kissed him hard, hitting that spot again as his own tears began to fill his eyes. This was different then any other time, for both of them. They knew, with the Final Battle looming so close, that this was probably the last, and only time they would ever be together, just the two of them. As Cloud slid into Zach, making the other man cry out in pain and relief, everything that they had been through together seemed to pass through their minds. The strokes were gentle as Cloud lay himself down on top of Zach, the other man wrapping his arms around him, holding them together as the pressure slowly built for the two of them. No words were said, no sounds made as they kissed each other with gentle desperation, Zach's hands smoothing down his back, tracing each scar and remembering the times when the blond had gotten them. Cloud was doing the same, feeling the knots of some of the worst scars along his ribs, remembering the memories they had shared of when Zach had gotten them. One last thrust and it sent them both over the edge, shuddering against each other as their tears continued to fall silently. Cloud slowly pulled out, and laid himself next to Zach, who promptly rolled over and laid his head on Cloud's chest, draping an arm over too. Cloud idly played with the black spikes, staring blankly up at the ceiling as sleep began to drag him down. The last thing he heard was Zach whispering 'I love you.'

Zach extracted himself from a deeply sleeping Cloud, and knelt at his side, staring down at the lithe blond. He smiled slightly, pulling a blanket over him as he stood, and gathered his clothing. Putting them on, his eyes never really left Cloud. He couldn't understand how he had accepted his death so easily. He stopped for a moment, his t-shirt half way over his head, as a memory came to him. Lying on his back, feeling the cool rain on his pain filled, bullet ridden body, seeing a much younger version of Cloud kneeling over him. He had felt regret yes, that he was leaving Cloud to manage on his own, but he had been peaceful, knowing that it had been him that got Cloud free. He, Zachary Fair, had kept his honor in the end.

He scowled and pulled the shirt completely over his head, sitting down and tugging on his boots, automatically tucking his pants into the boots. Standing, he gave one last look to the naked blond, before turning and walking away, going down the ladder quickly. He walked out into the twilight, ignoring the snow that was falling once again, wrapping his arms around himself, even though he wasn't actually cold. When he finally found Sephiroth, the tears were falling down his face again, and his eyes were cold, panic stricken. He stopped a little behind Sephiroth and Angeal, where they ignored him for a few moments while they spoke to Maya and Opal. The two animals fell completely silent, their eyes trained on the shaking Zach, filled with concern. The two men turned, and their eyes widened in surprised at the normally bouncy, happy Zach, looking exactly like he had the first time he had come back from Wutai, after his first kill.

"Zach?" Sephiroth said quietly, but made no move towards him, and neither did Angeal. They knew from his stance that he wouldn't welcome the comfort.

"How are we going to save Cloud?" Zach asked, his voice quiet. Understanding and pain filled both pairs of eyes, and Sephiroth crossed his own arms, raising his eyes to the sky.

"I don't know Zach," he said quietly, looking down and meeting the violet eyes that were staring at him with a desperate hope. What could he say though? He had no clue how to save his lover from the destiny that he had been born with. He fought down the tears in his own eyes. When he thought about it, the entire situation looked hopeless, and he couldn't think of any scenario where they could save Cloud. He let his thoughts be known, and the hope died in Zach's eyes, turning them cold and merciless. "I really don't know."

Zach unfolded his arms, and felt the cold steel enter his body as he stared at Sephiroth, actually making the mighty General flinch and avert his eyes.

"I refuse to let him die, Sephiroth," he said, his voice as cold as the snow falling around them. He then turned, and walked away. He needed to talk to the three Anima's.


	10. Desertion

**OMG!! I'm sorry!! Once again. I kind of feel I'm letting people down because I'm not updating as quickly as I used to. Though, I guess that's what real life does to you when it kicks you in the ass. :D I hope, I HOPE this makes up for it. Besides, I think there might only be one, or two chapters left. Enjoy, and Review!! (I'm a whore for reviews, lol.)**

**P.S. I was wondering if anyone was interested in a short story about some of the stories from last chapter. Any requests?**

* * *

Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis were each standing at the edge of the table, glaring at each other. Everyone else was sitting on the floor, hiding their grins as best as they could. The three men didn't care though.

"We need to enter from here, since it's the shortest route to Hojo," Genesis said angrily, his finger pointing again at a spot on the map. Angeal and Sephiroth both growled.

"No, we need to go in here," Angeal said, pointing to another spot on the northeast curve of the Crater. "Like I said before, if we go in there, we'll be closer to the cavern where the creations are."

"You're both wrong," Sephiroth snarled, sitting on the edge of the table, and tracing a finger around the curve of the Crater, closest to the water. "There are caverns in the water that will lead us directly, and undetected to Hojo's lab, and the other caverns where everything is kept."

"How do you know this?" Angeal demanded, his eyes annoyed and questioning. The typical cool, arrogant mask fell over Sephiroth's face, as he stared defiantly at him.

"Because I know it," Cloud said calmly, standing from his sitting position against the wall, and walking over to them. He took up a pen, ignoring the startled stares from everyone, and began to quickly sketch outlines of tunnels, caves, and small passageways. "These are only the surface ones. There are hundreds of caves that he's not using, that he probably doesn't even know about. They go about a mile below the impact point in the middle of the Crater. As far as I can tell, he is only using about 20 separate caves, all clustered around the center." Everyone watched in awed fear as a green light seemed to pulse in his eyes, and they became unfocused. He slowly put both palms on the table, and leaned on them, staring blindly down at the map. His pen was picked up, and it moved along with his words.

"The Weapon is here, in the center, and biggest cave. The ceiling is very thin there, so it will have no problem breaking out when the time comes. Directly to the right, in the second smallest, is the lab that Genesis and Denzel have told us about. Going down from there, pass through three small caves, only for storage, and there is another cave, where all the Creations are asleep. That one is a series of two caves, connected with tubes, wires, and such. About half of them are awake now. Off the first small storage cave, is a passage that leads to a hidden entrance. It was the one I was trying to get to when Sephiroth knocked me out and brought me back. Unfortunately, that way is no longer good for us, since it is too small to get the animals through. That leaves the entrances by the sea. They are big enough for the animals, and Hojo knows nothing about them. We would have some tight squeezes, but from what I can see, it shouldn't be any problem. It also leads us directly to Hojo."

As the green faded from his eyes, and Cloud came back home inside them, everyone released the breath they held during his words. He had spoken with a much deeper voice then anyone had heard before, except his fellow Generals. Cloud blinked, coming back completely to himself, and looked up, still calm. He grinned slightly at the shocked looks he was getting from most everyone.

"How do you know all that?" Kadaj asked quietly, his green cat eyes wide. He shrugged.

"The Planet is trying to help us anyway they can. They basically downloaded a map of the caves into my brain," he said, as though merely stating a fact.

Tifa felt tears enter her eyes, as she watched the blond General. She kept seeing him as the little boy she had grown up with, constantly bullied, always with an angry glint in his eyes. Then she saw him briefly in Nibelheim, walking confidently next to Zach and Sephiroth, having grown into the awkward grace he had shown as a child. The cold, arrogant Cloud when he had come to Midgar, after having spent those years with Hojo. Now, as a General, the leader of an entire army, his eyes shining with the knowledge of exactly who, and what he is. He knew what was expected of him, and he took the pressures of being General with grace, and humility. He had come so far from the angry boy she had known. Now he was connected with the Planet in a way that most people would never comprehend. In a way, she corrected herself mentally, that most people wouldn't want to comprehend. Yazoo sitting forward caught her attention, and everybody else's.

"Who is going to stay behind to protect Icicle and Bone?" he asked quietly, and Cloud sighed, closing his eyes briefly before opening them, and looking at the two brothers.

"Reno, Rude, Alia, and Tifa will be here, in Icicle. Yuffie and Rufus, along with Elena and Tseng will be in Bone. Cid has the continents well covered, so there is no need to worry about a water invasion. I was going to request that you Yazoo, stay here, and Kadaj, you would go to Bone," he spoke quietly, his eyes never leaving theirs. "I do not doubt the others abilities to protect the villages, but I would feel more secure knowing that the two of you are there." Something flashed in Yazoo's eyes that made Cloud narrow his, but it was gone before he could get a proper look. With their nods, he put it out of his mind, and turned back to the map, and the original 1st Class SOLDIER's.

"This is what my plan is," he began, oblivious to the sly look that Yazoo and Kadaj shared. Tifa didn't miss it though, and she sat back through the entire meeting, eyes narrowed as she contemplated what is was the two brothers were planning.

----------

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave Kadaj and Yazoo behind," Tifa said to Zach, who blinked then narrowed his violet eyes at her. It was roughly an hour after the meeting had been dismissed, with Sephiroth and Angeal wandering off to confer with the animals again, Cloud and Lupus disappearing off on their own, and the other couples vanishing to do whatever before the mission began in a few days. She had watched the two brothers sign something with the Captain of the Guard, leaving the village without their wolves, to vanish into the sparse woods. She had known following them there would have resulted in her death or theirs, and neither was an option she wanted to choose. She had tried finding either Sephiroth or Cloud, and had come across a flustered Angeal.

"You don't want to disturb them right now," the big man had said, before excusing himself to enter the tavern. She had smirked slightly, shaking her head, but then she realized that she really only had one other person she could tell about her suspicions. Despite her anger at the man, she didn't let her personal feelings get in the way of something she considered her duty to report. That was why she found herself confronting Zach, his beautiful twilight eyes darkened with anger. Oh how she missed those eyes, those lips, but she couldn't let the fact that he had cheated on her go. Despite it had been with Sephiroth, and Cloud she had found out later, two men who he had admitted he had loved since he got into SOLDIER, she couldn't do it.

"So you finally decide to talk to me," he said softly, his voice laced with scorn. Tifa blushed, her eyes glinting with anger as she propped her hands on her hips.

"You were the one who cheated on me," she growled out, then shook her head. "This isn't about me, or you, or us. I think Kadaj and Yazoo are planning something when you guys leave."

"You're jumping at shadows, Tifa," Zach scoffed, turning back to Aquila, and readjusting the harness around the bird's chest. He growled warningly when she grabbed his hands. He hadn't been in a good mood since the night before, when he had been bluntly told there was no way to save Cloud. Well, no way to save him without substituting a sacrifice. Because that was exactly what Cloud was, a sacrifice. His death would insure the grass would grow, that peace would reign over the Planet. The enhanced mako in his system was the true catalyst. Once it was released, with his life energy, back into the Lifestream, death became rebirth. Cloud wasn't the only one with the enhanced mako, though. Both he and Sephiroth held the same mako, and the same amount. He was determined to save Cloud, no matter what the cost.

"Let go of me, Tifa," he said with deadly quietness, staring coldly into her angry eyes until she blinked, and released him.

"What is your problem? Aren't you hearing anything I'm saying?" she demanded, and he sighed in annoyance when tears shone in her eyes. He had loved this woman, but there were people in his life that he had loved more deeply, and for much longer then her.

"I heard you Tifa, loud and clear. You think Kadaj and Yazoo are planning something when we all leave, am I right?" He waited until she nodded her head, before continuing with a condescending laugh. "Do you really think that Reno, Rude, or you, are going to let a punk ass like Yazoo do something? Are you underestimating Rufus and Yuffie too? We may call those two allies, Tifa, but were not stupid. We all remember what they did during the Geostigma incident." With a sigh and smirk, he climbed into the saddle, and Aquila took off even as he was strapping himself down. He closed his eyes into the cold wind, his hands tightening unconsciously around the edge of the leather. He had many things to think about, and figure out before the Final Battle.

She stared after the white eagle, clenching her hands together above her heart. The tears finally fell down her cheeks, and she sighed, closing her eyes.

"What happened to you, Zach?" she said to herself quietly. That was not the man she had fallen in love with.

----------

Cloud watched with narrowed eyes as an angry Zach took off on Aquila, and an equally angry Tifa watched them go. He had often wondered, in the couple weeks since the three had been together, what would happen if he told Tifa that he had been the one to seduce Zach. He didn't think it would have mattered much, since he knew of the anger she still carried about being cheated on. Surprisingly, she wasn't angry with either him, or his lover. Smirking slightly, he watched his dark haired friend walk away from the field, entering the barn where Marlene and Vincent were tending some minor wounds on the animals. Frowning again, he turned his eyes back up to the small speck of white that was Aquila, his eyes tracking the graceful form, as he thought back to the night before.

Being together with Zach had been everything he thought it was going to be. Wonderful, amazing, powerful. However, it was also sad, and desperate. He knew his friend was taking his impending death very hard, and Cloud didn't know what he could say to lessen the anger, because Zach was very angry. Angry at Cloud and Sephiroth for accepting it, angry with his inability to change what was going to happen. He was angry with this whole, stupid war, but he wasn't the only one. His thoughts were interrupted as Lupus walked out of the barn, the gash on his front right paw now cleanly healed. The wolf walked over to him and lay down at his side, crossing his paws in front of him.

**When do we leave?** He asked, and Cloud sighed, finishing off the cold coffee in his hand. He glanced at the wolf, before sighing and raising his eyes once again to the sky.

_What do you think Kadaj and Yazoo are planning?_ He asked mentally, so there would be no chance of this conversation being overheard. Cloud had been noticing certain things about the brothers the past couple weeks, since the end of the war had officially come into sight. Lupus sighed in a great gust, sending powdery snow flying away from him. As the wolf responded, he walked quickly into the attached room off the barn, and poured himself more coffee.

**I don't know, but something has changed. Glaci and her wolves are still on our side, as far as I can tell. Kadaj seems to believe so too, because he had told her nothing. All she knows is that Yazoo and him have been doing a lot of patrols on their own, without their animals.** Cloud nodded at that. He had realized the same thing, when he had gone over the monthly report from the captain in charge of the regular patrols. He walked back out of the barn, taking a long sniff of the vanilla flavored coffee. He took his first sip as he leaned on Lupus, both of them now looking to the converted hotel, where the two brothers stayed.

_I do not doubt Glaci and her pack, so don't think that. I am worried though, about what will happen when the strongest warriors leave. Maybe we should take Kadaj and Yazoo with us, so we'll be able to keep an eye on them._ Lupus sighed again, his ears pricking forward at the sound of an agitated chocobo.

**If you do, they will know we suspect something. As long as Glaci and the rest stay with them, I don't foresee anything being a problem they can't handle. Besides, the Turks and the rest will be there as well, plus the troops. So if they do end up doing something, there are more then enough people to stop them, hopefully. We need to concentrate on entering the crater and eliminating as many creations as we can.**It was Cloud's turn to sigh, as he finished off his swiftly cooling coffee. Letting the cup dangle from his fingers, he reached up his other hand and rubbed his forehead.

"I hate being in charge," he muttered, and Lupus laughed.

----------

Another hour later, the day drifting into night, Sephiroth listened silently as Cloud told him of his thoughts on the brothers, saying nothing. He still said nothing when Cloud wandered off, deep in a conversation with Angeal. He wandered until he reached the northwest corner of the barricade, and in one leap, he was crouched on the roof of the sheltered room underneath. He stayed there, his eyes trained on the looming mass of the Crater, but not really seeing it.

He thinks its Kadaj who is planning something, he thought, his brows drawing together in a slight frown. It's not Kadaj though. He doesn't have the cunning or patience to keep something major hidden for a year, if they have been planning something for the entire year. If it is Yazoo who is behind whatever they are planning, then we have much more to worry about then the two deserting. Yazoo reminds me to much of how I used to be. He smiled slightly, despite knowing that it wasn't exactly a compliment, watching the stars as they began to creep over the world. He would watch them closely, he decided, until it was time to leave.

----------

A roar of pure anger and rage shattered their sleep, and everyone in the village snapped awake, panicking with what they thought was an attack. In fact, it was the opposite. It was a desertion.

The three Generals were all awake and battle ready when they were snapped out of their sleep by Glaci roaring, racing out of the barn to the tavern where she stayed with Kadaj, their hearts hammering in their chests, their weapons bared and ready. They slid to a stop in front of her, eyes narrowed with horror at the scene in front of them.

"Poison," Glaci whispered, barely staying on her feet. Yazoo's wolf, Pavic, was sitting next to her, his nose almost touching the ground. Cloud immediately went to her, and cast the antidote, as Sephiroth did the same to the other. Zach was already walking behind them, checking the vital signs of the other three wolves lying on the ground. Luckily, Alia's wolf, Silk, was with her on the wall, since they had drawn the short straw and got night duty. Cloud watched him closely even as he concentrated, numb rage overtaking him as Zach shook his head at each one. He turned his attention back to Glaci, already noticing the glazed look in her eyes disappearing. Her eyes were burning with the same, betrayed rage that he was feeling. He was pissed at himself though, because he should have seen this coming. Well, he had seen them leaving, or trying something when they were gone, but he never imagined that the two would try and kill their own partners. He looked over to Sephiroth, and the rage only built as the silver haired General reverently laid the wolf down into the snow, shaking his head in regret. They had only gotten there fast enough to save Glaci.

"They went over to Hojo, didn't they?" he asked quietly, and she nodded.

"Hojo promised them eternity, as Generals of his creations. I have known for awhile now, that Kadaj and Yazoo have been jealous of the power and respect that the three of you wield, but I never suspected that it would consume them to the point that they would turn traitor," she said quietly, and Cloud nodded wearily. Jealousy can do strange things to people. Make them do things that they didn't want to, just to obtain what they wanted. His eyes narrowed, as he slid the materia back into his sword, then letting the tip rest gently against the ground. Being jealous wasn't an excuse for murdering four wolves, and attempting to murder the leader of the pack. He turned slightly as a soldier ran up to him, his fast breath puffing in the cold air. The man made a small salute as Sephiroth and Zach walked up to his side.

"Generals, one of the dragons, and two of the eagles were found dead not five minutes ago. They seem like they were poisoned," he breathlessly said, his eyes widening with terror as the three began to burn, and Glaci growled very low in her throat.

"Thank you. Your dismissed," Sephiroth said coldly, and the man turned tail and ran, not bothering to salute. His eyes turned almost admiring, as he turned to Glaci. Lupus walked up, and without saying a word, he planted his feet next to Glaci, and she leaned on him gratefully, sitting down. Cloud didn't even have to look at his wolf to see the anger that was there in the burning blue eyes. He knew the feeling all to well.

"Who was it that poisoned you, Kadaj or Yazoo?" Sephiroth asked, even as she glanced sideways at him.

"It was Yazoo," she whispered, and he nodded sharply, mouth firm in a small smile.

"He is more like me then I thought," he said thoughtfully, causing both Zach and Cloud to round on him, faces identical cold masks of anger.

"What do you mean?" Zach asked quietly.

"This could have been a plan by Sephiroth himself," Genesis said, walking up to them with Angeal at his side. He leveled considering eyes at the silver haired man, a small smile on his lips as well.

"Where's Vincent, Marlene, and Denzel?" Cloud asked quietly, afraid if he raised his voice, he would wordlessly scream his rage.

"Denzel is helping Vincent and Marlene examine the bodies, trying to determine what kind of poison was used to kill them. It had to be supplied by Hojo, to kill the animals so quickly," Angeal said, eyes distant as he looked towards the southwest corner, where the dragons and eagles had formed their own small camp.

"How can you be so calm about this?!" Zach said heatedly. "He could have killed Aquila and the others!" He bit back on the angry words that wanted to spill out, when Angeal gave him a sharp look.

"He could have, but he also knew it would have been suicide," he said, making Zach blink, and then blush slightly in anger at the patronizing tone.

"They wanted to live, so they are using the time we stand here to escape," Sephiroth said absently, having turned to face the Crater. "Yazoo knew how a good portion of our strength would be depleted with the death of most the animals. Since he couldn't attack us directly, or even indirectly through our animals, he did the next best thing. Take out the most powerful allies."

"Why didn't he try and kill Denzel, Marlene, or even Vincent?" Cloud asked, voice slightly confused, since in his mind, they would be the logical choices. It was Genesis who shook his head, scoffing slightly.

"They may have killed them, but they would have surely died in the process. The name of this game is survival, and that was why they left," he said, looking around at the assembled group with a smirk. "That says something about our chances, doesn't it? That they would desert to Hojo, because they don't think we'll win. Despite having all of us on this side, they still went over." He shook his head, tsking softly to himself.

"That's not all of it," Zach said quietly, his violet eyes distant as the anger gave way to thoughtfulness. "They have always wanted what the three of us have. Not only the three of us, but also our group of people. As much as I hate to admit it, we never really included them in that group." His eyes focused with a sadness and understanding that made Cloud instinctually take his hand, lacing their fingers together. Zach smiled slightly at the blond, then sighed. "I can't believe I never saw it before now. I always assumed because they didn't try to talk to anyone, they didn't want to be talked to." He sent a wry look towards Sephiroth, who raised a questioning eyebrow.

"After getting you out of your shell, I should have known the signs of an emotionally crippled person," he admitted, before staggering forward as Glaci nosed him in the back. He whirled with a loud Hey!, then stopped. She was swaying where she sat, despite the steadying presence of Lupus, her eyes glowing yellow with anger, hatred, and betrayal, her lips lifted up in a silent snarl.

"Yazoo killed my pack, my brethren, while Kadaj stood at his side, both of them smiling," she growled out, her words sounding like an avalanche of rocks, it was so deep. "I don't care why they did it, only that they made the decision, them and only them, to kill us, and desert us. I plan on returning the favor." They all stared at her for only a moment, until Angeal shivered, breaking his gaze from her tormented ones.

"Glaci," he said quietly, staring up at the sky a moment before he looked back to her. "It makes me very glad we didn't have someone like you during the Wutai War." Her eyes turned confused, and her lips lowered as she cocked her head to the side.

"Why would you say that?" she asked, and he shook his head, smiling. He then glanced to Sephiroth, Genesis, then finally back to her.

"If you had been there, along with Sephiroth and Genesis, I don't think there would have been a country left," he said, making her blink, still confused.

"He means your just as ruthless as we are," Sephiroth said, smirking when the light of understanding appeared in her eyes. She bowed her head slightly to Angeal, baring her teeth as she laughed softly.

"I take that as a compliment," she said. Zach let out a short bark of laughter, but there was real humor shining in his eyes as he looked at the wolf, grinning cockily.

"I am so not surprised at that."

----------

Maya and Opal had been flying patrols, so they had survived the poisoning, much to the relief of the male dragon and eagle. The next day, they moved the dead animals to the woods south of Icicle, taking the entire day to cut down the trees, and build pyres for them. The leaders of each group wanted them burned, so Hojo wouldn't be able to get to their bodies, and cells. That, and they didn't want the bodies ravaged by scavengers, either. As night fell, they moved them into position, and Cloud stepped forward, turning to face the assembled group of humans and animals, his back to the wooden constructs. He looked over the people, noting the sorrow that was on each face. Despite the fear and awe that the animals entrance had inspired, in the couple of weeks that they had all been together, the humans had come to see the animals as friends, and intelligent allies.

"We lost great allies last night. This is not a time to mourn them though. They believed they were doing the right thing, and were willing to fight, and die for their belief, just like us. While the circumstance of their death is regrettable, I hope they return to the Planet with the knowledge that their deaths only fuel the fire to rid this place of Hojo and his Creations," he said in a quiet voice, though it carried. His eyes began to burn, and he was soon coated with his blue-black flame. He could see the same lust for revenge that burned through him with his fire, reflected in each set of eyes that was turned towards him. He raised a hand, and as he clenched it into a fist, he activated the fire materia in his sword, and the pyres burst into flame behind him. Lowering his hand, he turned his head slightly to look at the burning bodies behind him, growling softly. He turned back to the silent group, growling loud enough that they all heard.

Draco and Maya let out a loud roar, Lupus and Glaci howled, and Aquila and Opal screeched, their voices mixing in an unearthly harmony of sorrow, loss, and rage. The humans closed their eyes, listening to the mixture with much the same feelings. The sound died down, and the three Generals found themselves opening their eyes, their souls having mixed with that of their animals, at the overwhelming emotions they were feeling. Cloud smiled slightly, and locked eyes with Lupus, both pairs burning.

"We will do everything in our power to avenge them, my brothers," he said quietly, his words earning him much quieter noises of agreement. He looked back to the humans, some of whom were still watching the animals with sympathy and awe.

"My fellow Generals, a select few others, and I will be going into the Crater directly to deal with Hojo. I ask you, stay and protect your homes, your loved ones. I ask you to stay, and live," Cloud said in a gently pleading voice. His eyes turned into sharp cut sapphires, hard and merciless as he looked over the assembled group, who had started mumbling with unease. He refused to allow any more people die under his command, if he could help it. With their powers and strengths, he damn well could keep them from dying useless deaths.

"If you still try to come with us, I will command you to stay. If you still insist, you will be cut down. There is no arguing on this. You don't have to worry, because there will still be the soldiers, and others here to protect you," he said in a hard, commanding voice he had cultivated being a General. He walked away from the burning bodies, and over to the assembled group of his warriors. Sephiroth and Zach gave him a brief nod as he walked up, communicating silently their approval. A knot of stress he didn't know he had eased in his chest, and he realized that he had been worried that one, or more of them would insist on bringing soldiers with them. He turned as he got close to his lover, Sephiroth enfolding him in his arms as they watched the bodies in silence, the rest of the group following suit. For now, they would honor the dead. Tomorrow…he smirked, watching the orange flames lick the heavens as his eyes shone in anticipation of finally ending this madness. Tomorrow would bring the beginning of the end for their enemies.


	11. The Weapon

**One chapter left, and then the epilouge! :D Yay!**

* * *

Aeris had informed him at about 4 am that the Weapon had matured ahead of schedule, and Hojo was only a few days away from launching his attack. After that nice, rude awakening, he and the rest had quickly gotten ready, running around town to let the populace know that the mission was starting now, and from here on out to be extra careful. Cloud kept dodging Alia because she had been bugging him nonstop about changing his mind and letting her and Silk come. That was how he found himself in front of the solder barracks, talking to a grizzled veteran with steel grey eyes and hair the same color, and a group of the same spread out behind him.

"We're coming with you," the soldier, Eric, said in a determined voice. Cloud sighed, and restrained the urge to reach up and rub his forehead. It was only 6 am on the day they were leaving, and he already had the beginnings of a migraine.

"Eric, I told everyone that it was an order to stay here and protect the village," he said, not bothering to disguise the tiredness in his voice. While the rest Angeal had ordered had been good, it hadn't come close to erasing the fatigue of a year of war. His only consolation was that once they left, it was time to fulfill their charge. Basically, as his old tactics instructor had pointed out, it was do or die time. Eric looked away, and then back up, his eyes glittering with conviction.

"You said to stay and protect," he said, and Cloud narrowed his eyes as the last word broke in pain, though his eyes remained steady. "We have no one here to protect, and no one to go home to." He looked at the small group then, recognizing most the faces. All of them were older, and many of them had served in the Wutai War underneath Sephiroth. Veterans, all of them, and Cloud felt his shoulders slump in defeat. If what Eric said was true, how could he turn them down? This would be their last chance to die in battle, something that many of the older warriors had claimed was preferable to a slow death in bed. For himself, Cloud would prefer to die in his sleep, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.

"We leave in 20 minutes," he ordered sharply, nodding back when the dozen men gave him crisp salutes. He was still standing there, staring off after them when Lupus walked up.

**I see you agreed to their terms,** the wolf said, and Cloud snorted in ironic amusement. He shouldn't have been surprised the animal knew before he did, but he was. Turning, he lifted himself easily into the saddle, adjusting the sword on his back so the black blade wouldn't accidentally cut either him, or the wolf. They walked through the hushed town, ignoring the sad looks from windows and porches. Whether they said it aloud or not, the people knew they probably wouldn't be seeing most of their leaders back. The two were the first to reach the gate, and Alia and Silk were already there waiting.

"I really wish you would let me come with you," Alia said, giving him a glare. The wolf only nodded his head in agreement, and Cloud bit back a growl.

"I already told you," he grounded out, his hands tightening unconsciously around the edge of the leather saddle. He was so tired of his second questioning his orders, especially when they knew he had given them, to protect those who remained. He may not like Reno, but he was a good fighter, and people liked him. Rude was the strong silent type, though he had loosened up somewhat. While the two Turks may be trusted, everyone knew that Alia was in charge when the three left, and everyone followed her orders. She had been arguing with him for two days straight, since the burning of the animals. "I need you here to protect everyone. Even more now that Kadaj and Yazoo have gone to the other side." She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, her jaw set.

"I'm not going to disobey your orders, General," she said coldly, making Cloud wince slightly. He always hated it when people he was close to, were mad at him. "I'm just wishing you'll change your orders."

"I'm not going to," he said firmly, and she huffed. She turned away, adjusting something on Silk's saddle, but she wasn't quick enough to hide the sheen of tears in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, his heart twisting with guilt about leaving her behind, but a shadow fell over them. As one, Draco with Sephiroth on his back, Maya, Aquila with Zach, and Opal landed. As soon as they finished settling their wings, four more shadows passed over, and the four Protectors landed as well, folding their wings.

"Anything?" he called out, scowling when every single one of them shook their heads. He had been hoping to find some sort of movement from Hojo and the creations, or from the brothers. He knew all the above were to smart for that, but it didn't hurt to check. As he was bending down, strapping his legs onto the saddle, the men from before walked up. He counted, and now there were only seven of them. Finding this darkly amusing, he cocked an eyebrow at Eric, the apparent leader of the group.

'"What happened, did they get lost on the way here?" he asked, not keeping the amusement out of his voice. Eric grinned slightly, looking back the way they had come. By the time he faced forward, his face and eyes were grave.

"They decided they have something to live for," came the soft reply, and Cloud only nodded.

"Go find Rude. He can get all of you snowmobiles," he said absently, his eyes wandering back to the distant crater. He had been trying not to think about what waited him there, but it always seemed to creep back into his mind. My death awaits me there, he thought, with something akin to awe in his mind. As he stared, he began to wonder if this is what the non-enhanced men felt like every time they went into a battle, where certain death awaited them. The same sick fear that was causing his stomach to rumble uncomfortably, the same urge to flee, that he could feel pressing just behind his eyes? Yet, he wondered, narrowing his eyes at the intimidating sight. Do they feel the same determination to finish it to the end? That fierce pride in knowing that your death could save hundreds? In his case, the entire Planet? He often mused, as he turned his head at the sound of approaching engines, why it was that he was so calm about this entire thing. He was going to his death, and there was no way anyone was able to save him. No way would he let anyone save him. He nodded when Eric gave him thumbs up, and made the universal sign for move out. As soon as he and Lupus, Glaci, and the men were through the gate, Sephiroth and the rest took to the skies. With a mental command, Lupus broke into a full out run, and Cloud let the rushing wind take his thoughts away, for now.

----------

Zach sighed at the bickering couple, it being Sephiroth and Cloud this time, not Genesis and Denzel like usual. He meandered away from the travel table and the map currently spread out on it, and over to Aquila and Opal. Without saying a thing, Aquila bent down, making it easier for Zach to climb into the saddle. Automatically he strapped himself in, because otherwise he would slid off when the eagle wasn't flying, but the small frown on his face gave him away. His thoughts were a million miles away.

I've got to figure something out, he thought with desperation, letting his eyes wander up the immense side of the crater. He could almost hear the heartbeat of the Weapon inside, filled with the mindless, murderous rage of a rabid animal. He shivered, and twisting around, he withdrew a blanket from the bags attached to the saddle. Throwing it around his shoulders, he hunkered down, burying his hands in the thick feathers of Aquila above the saddle. His hands slowly thawed out, as his mind continued to run in circles. He was getting frustrated with himself, for not being able to find a solution where none of them died. He could think of countless ones where one, or more of them sacrificed themselves for the Planet and its people, but he didn't want that. He wanted them all to come out alive, to be able to live the long time Aeris promised, with each other. They wouldn't live forever, only a couple hundred years past normal humans, they would age accordingly, and he wanted that. He wanted to see Cloud's face when Yuffie's grandchildren took over the throne of Wutai, and when the ninja herself got married to the very man she vehemently hated her entire life. He wanted Sephiroth to see the inventions he had created become commonplace, because some of them were pure genius. All of them would benefit humanity, and some of them were already in production thanks to Rufus and Reeve. He smiled slightly, even through the tears that were freezing on his cheeks. He wanted to see what would become of the babies Glaci, Opal, and Maya were carrying, and how the new breed of intelligent animals based off their Anima's would effect the world. His hands clenched into fists along with his eyes, his chest feeling like it was going to collapse under the weight of his sorrow. He wanted to see it all, damnit!

He bent nearly in half, silent sobs racking his body, and he didn't have the strength to stop them. He just couldn't figure it out. He, Zachary Fair, had been prized as a 1st, and then as a General because of his ability to figure things out. Hell, he could figure out a Rubik's cube in 10 seconds flat. The sobs grew in intensity, and he didn't even feel the comforting, gentle wing of Opal as it was placed across him. Why couldn't he figure it out? Why couldn't he see what needed to be done, to save them all? Why?

"Zach," Angeal said softly from the ground, and Zach looked at him, knowing he was showing his former mentor his tear streaked face, and not caring.

"What?" he asked quietly, his voice containing nothing.

"What is it?" Angeal asked, making to climb up to sit with him. With a quick mental command, Aquila sidled away, moving his wing to bar the 1st from being able to climb. He waited for disappointed look, but it never came. He looked away, and scrubbed at his face with one hand, while holding the blanket around him with the other.

"It's nothing for you to worry about," he said curtly, ignoring the look of understanding pain he was given.

"Zach…"

"It's nothing!" he growled out sharply, immediately wanting to apologize at the crestfallen look on Angeal's face. Growling softly in disgust with himself, he turned his face away and forced the apology back down his throat. He was done being the happy, naive kid that Angeal had trained all those years ago. He waited until the man walked away, but the tears came back of their own accord, and he didn't try to stop them. He was loosing hope that everything would be all right, and the tears seemed to be a fitting reminder of what was to come in the days ahead.

----------

Sephiroth glared at his blonde lover over the table, who was glaring back at him. In his mind though, he was highly amused, and highly depressed. He had always enjoyed getting into debates with Cloud, the mans mind being as sharp as the sword that hung at his back. He was depressed, because he knew this would be the last time he would be able to act this way with Cloud, if he couldn't find some way to alter destiny. He forced his thoughts back onto the problem at hand, as his fellow General made some vague motion over the map.

"You and Maya will go in here," he said, pointing to a very large cave entrance about 300 feet below the summit of the crater. He slid his finger to the opposing side, and his brows knit together. "I would like Zach and Opal to enter here. That way the six of you can come in from the top, while the rest of us enter from opposite sides at the base. We'll attack from four different sides." Sephiroth opened his mouth to argue, wanting to say that they should stay together, but he closed it before saying a word. His words would have been based completely on his feelings, and he knew that wasn't the way to win battles. What Cloud wanted to do was sound, based on the strengths and weaknesses of his men, and the plan was no better then any one Sephiroth could have come up with. Nodding his agreement, Cloud gave him a brilliant smile that made his heart ache, and leaned across the table, planting a solid, searing kiss on his lips. He returned it in kind, growling softly when the blond pulled away far too quickly for his liking. It only earned him a smirk, and then his General was walking confidently towards the awaiting group. He began packing things slowly, his brows drawing together in a frown.

You would think I could figure out how to save him, he thought, storing the table and map in a waterproof bag that would go on a snowmobile. Me, the great General Sephiroth, a Demon General. Aeris told me I was the only one that could, so why can't I figure out how to do it? He slammed the bag onto the mobile with more force then he intended, bending the metal rack slightly, but he didn't notice. He had tried talking to the Ancient recently, but all he received from her was that she wasn't allowed to talk to them right now. Something about the rules. Now here he was, stuck with a fellow General that had fallen into a suicidal depression because of his inability to figure it out, his lover who was completely calm and accepting about the entire thing, and his temper had been very short lately. While in the village, it had been easier to forget what would ultimately happen when they reached the crater. Now that they were actually here though, he could feel the answer slapping him in the face, but he couldn't grasp it.

His left hand clenched into a tight fist, the leather of his glove creaking in protest. The wind picked up, blowing his long hair away from a face that had gone almost frightening with its determination. He had never given anything up in his life, and he would be damned if he would start now.

----------

It was pitch black when the four groups entered the labyrinth of caves. Luckily for them all, Cloud had the map of the entire place, and since they were able to communicate mentally, no one got lost. The group with Angeal, Genesis, Denzel, and three of the Army were the first to reach the containers with half grown creations floating inside of them. They went about destroying each container, not only killing the things inside, but also severing the tubes, and confiscating the materia that was powering them. Lastly, they gave the child that was controlling the containers and creations the death they wanted.

Sephiroth, Draco, and Maya were the first to reach the main lab that Hojo occupied. Then, because of the dexterity and strength of their claws, they were able to hang from the ceiling, and relay everything the scientist was doing to the other groups. They also found, that neither Kadaj nor Yazoo was with the insectile man. Zach, Aquila, and Maya found the cave of sleeping creations, and went about silently killing them while they remained asleep. Cloud, with Lupus, Glaci, Marlene, Vincent, and the rest of the men, were the ones to find the awake creations, and the two traitorous brothers. They stood at the entrance of the cave, staring through the gloom to the two pairs of glowing cat eyes staring at them contemptuously. Cloud only cocked his head at them, in arrogant confusion. Unlike the brothers, he could back up his arrogance.

"You know what I can do," he said softly, his voice carrying. "If you leave now, and I never hear of you showing your faces again, I will let you live." He sighed when Yazoo laughed, shaking his head as he did.

"Oh poor General," he purred. "This isn't about living or dying anymore. This is about making sure that you die, for letting our brother be killed." Cloud ignored the hissed words, smiling slightly as he leaned forward in the saddle.

"Well you don't have to worry about that. I have to die anyway, in order to save the Planet," he said, his voice ringing with conviction. He also ignored the startled looks he got from Vincent and Marlene, vaguely remembering that they didn't know about that little part. The brothers narrowed their eyes in suspicion, glancing at each other before looking back.

"You lie. You would say anything so we didn't kill you," Kadaj said, but his voice wasn't as confident as Yazoo's. Cloud found himself laughing, wondering when he had started. It wasn't funny, really, but at the same time, it was. He was going to give the brothers an empty promise.

"You can have your chance at me, I swear. After I kill the Weapon and Hojo, and if I survive," he said, still chuckling softly. The sounds drifted away into a small, sad smile, and he reached up, wiping the tears away from his eyes. He watched the moisture roll down his fingertip, another drop taking the same path down his cheek. He lifted his eyes slowly, and met those of the brothers across from him.

"You have my word. If I survive this, I will give you your chance to kill me." He returned the assessing gaze Yazoo was giving him with his own calm one, both of them ignoring the fidgeting Kadaj. Something changed in the emerald cat eyes, and he gave a ringing command, the creations melting away into the darkness. Nodding his thanks, he smirked slightly at the parting comment from Yazoo as they passed him, slipping deeper into caves, and towards Hojo.

"Make sure you save one of his antenna for me."

----------

When Cloud's group, and Zach's group were roughly an hour away from entering the main lab where Hojo was, a scream of purest agony and pain echoed through the caves, a moment before it slammed into their minds. Lurching forward with eyes wide, Cloud doubled over the saddle, clutching his head as Lupus staggered into the wall, his entire body suffering. Zach screamed, twitching helplessly as he squeezed his eyes shut, clenching the leather of the saddle hard enough that he left permanent dents. Aquila staggered into the wall as well, panting as his violet eyes showed whites. Everyone else only looked shocked, not able to feel the emotions accompanying the scream. It died away, and both Cloud and Zach's heads shot up, as Lupus shot off into a run, and Aquila did as well, even though it was awkward.

They burst into the cave, the bright lights of the lab blinding them for a moment. When he could see, Cloud shaded his eyes, body beginning to tremble in shock. One whole wall had been busted through, and in the very large hole that was now there, stood the Weapon.

He found himself frozen as he stared up into the burning red eyes, surrounded by what looked like black smoke. His eyes traveled down to the formidable fangs, and between one blink and the next, he and Lupus were engulfed in a bonfire of blue, that reached to the ceiling. Draco was between the beasts jaws, and very red blood was dripping sluggishly from the grievous wounds. He looked down to the floor next, having seen that Sephiroth was not in the saddle. He found his lover sprawled out on the floor, blood covering his entire body, with Maya shielding him protectively. She bore four claw marks that shredded her wings, and had cut her open from one set of ribs, across her back, and to the other. He took in the picture in a flash, his sword out just as quickly.

Without thinking, he threw a razor sharp burst of blue fire at the Weapon, even as Lupus started running with a powerful movement of his legs. He was unstrapping himself as the light hit, causing the black mass to howl in pain, and drop the prone form of the dragon. In one swift movement, Cloud jumped off Lupus's back, and into the air. He hit the form of Draco, and was able to use his own power enough so that they were only able to hit the ground in a mild impact. Standing, he turned to the Weapon, but it had backed through the cave, and Cloud could see it retreating. Before the eyes disappeared completely, a hissing laugh echoed through the caves.

"You may have won this one, but I wouldn't take to long," Hojo voice whispered. "There are many things I need to destroy, and people to kill." Then the eyes were gone, and Cloud dropped his sword, running over to Sephiroth. Finding him unconscious, but bearing no wounds, he then made his way over to Draco, who was looking at him with one glazed eye.

**He will not die if I do,** the dragon said, and Cloud ignored him as Lupus walked over to him. Taking out a cure from his pouch, he set it gently in the wolfs mouth, as he went back over to Maya with the intention of healing her. Cloud pulled out another one, and activated it, pressing it into the side of the dragon. He glowed for a moment in green, but it died away far too quickly. Draco coughed softly, and Cloud finally began to feel panic as blood dribbled from his mouth.

**It's no use, Cloud. I knew what was going to happen. It was either going to me, or him, and my job is done now. Make sure Maya makes it out. I don't want our children dying in here.** Then the pale jade eye closed, and with his hand on the dragon's side, he felt the great heart stop. A moment after that, before the truth could actually sink in, Draco began to burn, and he knew the behind him, Sephiroth was as well. The white dragon melted into the fire, and Cloud was left holding his hand out to nothing. Dropping it slowly, he turned and walked over to where Maya and Sephiroth were awake, watching him calmly.

"He's not dead, not completely," Sephiroth said softly, smiling a little as he looked down at his hand. He then looked to Maya, and stood on unsteady feet. Cloud moved to support him, but he shook his head. Walking up to Maya's belly, he placed his burning hand on her side, and she was coated with a thin layer of the flames. She hissed softly when it was absorbed into her, and then turned her head so she could butt her nose against Sephiroth. He placed his hand on her nose, still smiling.

"Don't let them die in here," he said, staring into her eyes.

"I will go," she said simply, getting a nod of thanks, and a gentle kiss. Then she turned, and disappeared down into the caves, her broken wings held gently against her barely healed cuts. The cure was able to stop the bleeding, but that was all. Then the silver haired man fell to his knees, staring blindly at his hands. Cloud walked up to him, and embraced him from behind as Zach and the rest finally made it through the caves. Zach kneeled down in front of Sephiroth, taking his hands gently.

"I was right, he's not completely gone," the silver haired man whispered, his voice quietly joyful, and sad. "You remembered when they said they were the manifestation of our power? It's literal. They are literally our power." He swept them into his mind, and they blinked when Draco took shape before them. He didn't speak, only looked at them with calm, ready eyes. Each scale was now a small fireball, his claws larger then they were in life. His body itself had also reverted back to the long, sinuous shape it had been originally, his delicate wings fanning gently in the fire surrounding him. They found they could do nothing but nod in respect to the noble figure, earning themselves a nod in return. Then they were back in their own minds, and they found that they were smiling as well.

"He doesn't talk, but he doesn't need to," Sephiroth whispered, tears gently running down his cheeks. Zach embraced him, even as behind them the Protectors were explaining what had happened. He was gone, as the Draco they had all known, but he was still there, literally, in spirit. A rumble shook through the cave, and they raised their eyes to the opening where the Weapon and Hojo had disappeared through. Sudden sunlight could be seen streaming through the broken pieces, and floating dust. They caught a glimpse of a disappearing tail, and stood. It was time.

Glaci walked over to Sephiroth, and with a nod, he climbed on, as the rest followed suit. Aquila and Opal spread their wings and took off, Zach with two of the men, and Opal was carrying three. Cloud had two men, and Angeal was seated behind Sephiroth. The Protectors spread their wings, taking off after the eagles as they soared into the broken cave. Lupus and Glaci dashed off in the opposite direction, back through the caves, because there would be no way they could get out of the hole the Weapon had created.

The triangle slipped into their alternate selves, Death, Lover, and Brother, their eyes becoming calm as they relaxed, fate creeping up and taking control. The Protectors felt the same dangerous calm settle over them, and the Anima's were cold and calculating. Everything in their lives had been leading up to this point. The torture underneath Hojo, the years in SOLDIER, meeting each other. This moment, was what they had all been born for. They all felt themselves slipping into battle mode, because it would not be long before the Final Battle would begin.


	12. Final Battle

**First off, I apologize for the length of time between the last chapter and this one. I just couldn't seem to get this one right. I think I've deleted more of this chapter then I've written. o.O **

**Oh Oh!! I want to thank Chanson des Ombres for being an awesome beta!! She caught things that I really would have missed, and she has awesome ideas! And btw, there is still an Epilouge for this story, that's about half way done. I will be posting it in a few days, and then this story will be completely finished. *sniff* I will miss you Legends!! Well, kind of. :D Ok, on with the story!**

* * *

It didn't take Cloud and his group as long to get back outside as they had thought. Just as they were emerging from the shelter of the rock walls, a great roar cut through the silence outside. Their gazes were drawn upward, eyes narrowing as Aquila plummeted towards the smoky Weapon, as it made its way down the side of the crater. Smiling grimly, Cloud and Sephiroth watched as Zach and Aquila began to burn, the great eagle crashing into the back of the Weapons head. It was enough to upset the delicate balance it needed to crawl down the rocks, and with a shriek of rage, it slipped, and came hurtling down towards them. Lupus and Glaci needed no command to begin running, and they all went tumbling as the Weapon crashed into the ground with a great boom, sending a white wall of snow outwards with enough force to knock them all down.

Standing and shaking the snow off themselves, Cloud and Sephiroth ignited their own powers, the snow on, and around them melting in the onslaught. Glaci was forced to edge away before she was burned, but Lupus stood between the two of them, the anger in his eyes burning as hotly as the fire that surrounded them. Aquila and Opal landed next to them as well, and the female eagle was also forced to step away from them. The four Protectors swept in, landing in front of them, their eyes and weapons burning with their own, unique colors. They watched in tense silence as the Weapon levered itself onto its massive paws, and for a moment, they could see Hojo's reptilian figure beneath the smoky fur, situated inside the creature's chest. Then the vision was gone, and they were finally face to face with the great Weapon. For long moments they stared at each other, but the staring contest was broken when screams of pain echoed across the plain.

None of the warriors even glanced behind them to see what the screams were about, but the troopers did. It was their gasps of surprise that finally caused Cloud to glance over his shoulder. His blade dropped an inch in surprise at what he saw, even as his face remained closed down. Streaming out of the trees were the creations that Cloud had let go with Kadaj and Yazoo. Yet, that wasn't the surprising part. What finally made him turn around completely, were the prone figures of the two brothers being dragged by their ankles. A winged wolf creature had Yazoo, and the other dragging Kadaj, was a feathered snake. Cloud kept up his guard as the creations neared them, but smiled slightly when the two flung the brothers at them contemptuously. They stared at him for a moment, ignoring the softly groaning teens.

"You freed us. We thank you," the snake creature hissed, and soft assent rippled through the remaining creations. Cloud lowered his blade, brows drawing together in confusion. Seeing this, the wolf one walked closer, deliberately stepping on Kadaj's chest, making the boy release a gurgled scream, blood flowing from the sides of his mouth.

"When you destroyed the children who were controlling us, you freed us. You have our thanks for that," the wolf growled, but then flattened its ears against its head, glaring at the group. "We thank you, but do not think this makes us allies. Understand this. We fight against Hojo, not with you."

"You would dare defy me?" The Weapon roared with Hojo's voice, and even though the creations cowered slightly, they still stared beyond the warriors to it, with defiance.

"You made us slaves!" The wolf one howled, and his fellow creations echoed him.

"I made you! You obey me!" Hojo screamed, and the Weapon tossed his head around in obvious pain, gouging the earth below its claws. "If you defy me, I will destroy you!"

"We would rather die free, then as slaves!" The snake one responded, and as one, the creations streamed through the warriors, heading straight for the Weapon. Never letting a good chance go by, Cloud turned and walked over to the bitten, torn, and bleeding brothers. Crouching down by them, he watched dispassionately as their eyes fluttered open.

"We fucked up, didn't we?" Yazoo said hoarsely, coughing. Cloud frowned as Sephiroth and Zach walked up behind him, watching the blood that started flowing from the boy's mouth. He wasn't going to lie to them though. The only thing he could offer them was his forgiveness. Their wounds were grievous enough, that not even a cure could save them now.

"Yes, you did," he said softly.

Yazoo only nodded, and looked over at his brother, taking Kadaj's hand in his. "There was no reason for me to be jealous of you three, but I was. Sorry…" He coughed again, and Cloud could hear his heart beat slowing down. Yazoo turned his head back to look at him, and they all knew that Kadaj had already gone, his eyes closed and face peaceful. He looked down into the clearest green eyes he had ever seen, and found himself smiling slightly through the numbness as he took the youths hand, the screams and growls of battle fading into the background.

"There was no need for you to be jealous," Zach said quietly, as the other two men crouched down as well. Yazoo only nodded once, closing his eyes and even smirking slightly.

"Yes, I know that now. I didn't learn that until after we had left. Our life was so much better around the three of you. Better than we ever had. I still don't understand what made me give it up…" His voice faded again, and Cloud shushed him quietly, patting the bloody hand that held his.

"Go Yazoo. You have our forgiveness. Be at rest now." And Yazoo did just that, slipping away with that small smile still on his face. They waited a moment, and felt the particular tingle in their minds that announced Aeris's presence, as the two boys began to glow softly with green light. It took only moments for them to disappear, and the three men stood.

"Are they forgiven, Aeris?" Cloud asked quietly.

_Yes Cloud. They are forgiven. Now go. The Planet needs its warriors._

Nodding to themselves, the three took up their weapons again, and faced the now bloody Weapon. They walked back over to Lupus and Aquila, ignoring everyone and everything as they stood contemplating the battle that was raging before them. The creations hadn't been lying when they said they wanted to die free. They were going against the Weapon with everything they had, and even as they watched, one particularly large eagle based creation managed to bite into its ankle, making it roar in pain then stumble. Slowly, a grin began to form on Cloud's face as the adrenaline of battle flowed through his veins. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his lovers beginning to grin as well. He brought his flaming sword up into the attack position, and laughed quietly.

"Well my loves, the dance has begun. Let's change the pattern, shall we?" He said, and they were laughing as they launched themselves into the battle, all thoughts of what would happen at the end of this particular fight, forgotten for now.

----------

Sephiroth and Zach panted quietly as they made their way up the side of the crater, jumping from rock to rock to gain height. Cloud was on the ground with Aquila, Lupus, Angeal, and the four Protectors were flying around the great beast, keeping it backed up against the rock wall. Glaci and Opal had been ordered back to Icicle, to protect the life that they carried inside them. While they had fought the command from Cloud, it had been Lupus and Aquila that made them finally agree to it in the end, though reluctantly.

The two got to the height they needed, and in unison, they pushed off from the rocks, arching backwards so they flew down towards the beast head first. With identical snarls on their faces, they adjusted their swords as they got closer, aiming for the great muscles that supported the creature's front legs. If they could get it down to its knees, they would have easier access to its neck, and chest. Their aim was perfect as they sliced through the muscle, flipping in midair to land on their feet, as everyone scrambled away. The beast crashed downwards, its voice mixing with Hojo's in a scream of pain and rage.

They advanced slowly, careful not to slip on the mud that their fires had created from the melting snow, and also the blood from the creations and themselves. To everyone watching, it was eerie. The beast tried getting back onto its feet, growling, but only managed to raise itself to its knees, before beginning to sway. The men and animals started to advance once again cautiously, eyes glittering with calculation. With most battles that are fought, the air is filled with the screams of the dying, the growls of the fighting. The only sound in this particular battle, was the growling of the Weapon. Everyone else was deadly silent as they advanced, watching the struggling Weapon with an eager light in their eyes. Between the damage that the creations had inflicted, joined with those from the humans, and the animals, it was worse for wear. However, the hour-long fight had taken its toll on the defending party as well. There was not one of the remaining fighters that did not have a nasty wound. All of the human troopers had already died, and it had been a close thing with Genesis and Vincent. They had taken very deep wounds, and only Angeal healing them quickly had kept them from dying. They all stopped in their tracks, eyes narrowing as the Weapon lashed out with a paw.

"You think you can beat me?" Hojo hissed, and everyone became utterly motionless at the boiling hatred that came from the fanged mouth. "You are nothing! Nothing! I made you!" The hairs on their bodies rose at the insane cackling that sounded then, as it rolled across the plain. "I made you, I will destroy you!" The thing's body began to glow green, but even as the humans registered he was using a Restore, Lupus growled low in his throat, as Aquila let out a scream of rage, and the two of them shot forward with a speed never seen before. Within two steps, Aquila was in the air, being surrounded by the four Protectors as they gained altitude, heading straight for the Weapon. On the ground, the remaining creations followed Lupus, even as Angeal grabbed Zach and Sephiroth grabbed Cloud, refusing to let them follow their animals, even as they screamed their names.

"If you go, you'll die!" Sephiroth yelled into Cloud's ear, grunting as the heel of Cloud's boot connected with his thigh.

"I'm going to fucking die anyway, so let me GO!" Cloud screamed, and twisted sharply in his grasp, ripping open the barely healed claw wound across his ribs. Not caring, he dropped to the ground and sped towards the fighting animals. He was halfway there when Aquila dropped heavily onto the creature's neck, digging his massive claws around its spine. Holding on for dear life as the Weapon shook its body, trying to dislodge the eagle, Aquila screamed and bit down directly behind the creature's skull, blood erupting to cover his white feathers, turning him crimson. At the same moment, Lupus launched himself upwards, latching his formidable jaws around the thing's windpipe, cutting off its roar of anger, and turning it into a gurgle as blood seeped out of its mouth, dropping onto the Creations that were attacking its legs. In the blink of an eye, Cloud was thrown back as red energy exploded from the Weapon, rendering him deaf and blind as he rolled across the muddy ground. Howls of pure pain followed him into blackness as his head slammed into a rock.

----------

Groaning, Cloud opened his eyes, blinking when a sharp slap connected with the side of his face. Raising a hand, he smacked the hand away, and forced himself to sit up. For a moment, he couldn't remember what happened, but then a whisper went through his mind, and his body went still, even as his eyes opened wide. In his mind, he could see his wolf standing there, amidst blue and black flames, staring at him patiently. Do not mourn for me, those eyes said. You know what you need to do now. Lupus opened his mouth, and roared silently. It vibrated through Cloud, and he stood slowly, ignoring the hands that were trying to help him up. Turning, feeling as though everything was moving in slow motion, like he was walking through a dream, he faced the Weapon. If possible, the thing had a smug look on its face, and he could almost hear Hojo snickering. He had managed to destroy all three Spirit's, but the scientist didn't know that they weren't gone. Their great reservoirs of energy were now back where they started, safely inside the three men. As he stood, his mind carefully blank, pure black flames flickered into existence, starting at his feet. Even as his eyes slowly darkened until they were midnight blue, the flames licked their way up his body, until he was coated in a thin layer of the flames. Directly above his skin was a ghostly film of bright blue, hardly able to be seen. He never took his eyes off the Weapon, since it was no longer bleeding, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zach and Sephiroth walk up to his sides. Both of them were hardly coated in their flames, and to everyone else, it seemed as though their power was diminished, since usually, they were surrounded by a bonfire.

Angeal learned different when he tried to approach them. He was only 20 feet away before he was forced to back off because of the heat. As he looked at them, he felt a shiver of primal fear. Their hair was weaving around them in the wind caused by the fire, but they stared at the Weapon, utterly calm. Sephiroth's eyes had lightened until they seemed almost the color of his hair, the barest hint of green in them, but they were ringed in black. Zach's eyes had darkened to a deep purple, the color at sunset, but they were circled in a bright crimson, seeming to blend into the fire surrounding him. The fire was small, but it was hot enough that it was baking the mud that they were standing on, and even their shirts started to smoke, even being specially treated to withstand heat. The shirts went up in smoke, as the three started walking towards the Weapon, each step deliberate, the tattoos that curled around their upper bodies beginning to glow softly. Angeal could only watch in awe as the four Protectors lined up behind the three, their own fires barely showing in their eyes and on their blades, but it made no difference. Their fires were as equally hot as the three. His only thought, as he grasped his original Buster Sword, was that this was what the three had been born for. All the pain, the torture, the experiments. It was all for this.

The Protectors leapt into the air, and dove straight for the Weapon, as the three men settled themselves, bringing their swords up in the attack position. Everything that they had been through, every anguished thought on how to save Cloud, was wiped clean from their minds as they faced the large beast. Vincent and Marlene swooped wildly around its head, creating small, painful, but not life threatening wounds. Denzel and Genesis were sweeping through its legs, along with what remained of the Creations, slicing through muscle and flesh as through it wasn't there. The three men only watched patiently, as they slowly descended deeper into their powers. They each felt the spirit of their animals as they went deeper, guiding them with their infinite patience. The flames steadily grew, until it resembled the bonfire that everyone was used to seeing. Their colors mixed together in graceful lines, and as one, the three closed their eyes, taking deep breaths. Their brains utterly shut down, their alternate personalities of Death, Lover, and Brother came completely to the front, and flashes of memories sped through their minds.

_Zach was sparring with Angeal, grinning ferociously as their blades snaked off one another. It was the first time he had been able to go against his mentor for longer then a half hour, and what made pride swell in his breast, was the sweat gleaming on Angeal's body. He had never before made his mentor sweat._

_Sephiroth was reclining in his apartment, with Angeal and Genesis, laughing and joking quietly as they drank. They were all young, in their teens, and they had just returned from their first battle against the Wutai, victorious. They had saved countless lives, and were drunk not on alcohol, but on the knowledge that everyone was praising them as heroes. _

_Cloud was finally able to fight back. He had been surrounded by a group of five of his fellow Cadets, intent on beating the hell out of him. He was no longer weak, thanks to Sephiroth and Zach, his dual mentors. He beat them off easily, with hardly breaking a sweat. Looking down at the groaning boys, he smirked slightly. He was no longer weak, and he owed all of it to his lover, and brother._

'Back off,' Cloud commanded mentally to the four Protectors, and instantly they obeyed. As soon as the four were clear, they took off towards the Weapon. Already analyzing the beast as it adjusted, preparing for their attacks, the three jumped, avoiding a swipe of the large paw. Sephiroth was forced to adjust his sweeping attack when the beast moved quickly to attack Zach, who was aiming for his head. Instead of cutting into its chest, instead he slashed across its shoulder, landing on the ground in a spray of blood even as the beast roared and staggered. He jumped back up as it whipped around, but it wasn't paying attention to the others. Zach landed on its back, and Hojo seemed to realize its real danger. As Zach went to bring down the black Buster sword, the Weapon shook itself, causing Zach to lose his balance and forcing him to jump off with a shouted curse. Even as it centered its attention on Zach and Sephiroth, it wasn't watching Cloud, as he watched from the ground. When its attention was diverted effectively by the other two, Cloud jumped, but his downfall was when he assumed that its attention was completely diverted. He had forgotten that not only was there the Weapon, but Hojo was also inside the beast. As he hung in midair, getting ready to stab his blade directly through the front of the beast's head, it turned in a burst of speed, clamping its jaws around Cloud's body.

Screaming in rage and defiance, Cloud didn't bother struggling. He felt the pain vaguely, as well as his own blood as it dripped from his body to the ground below. Growling, he adjusted the grip on his sword, ignoring Hojo as the lunatic's voice came through the large throat.

"I got you now, my pet," Hojo purred, and Cloud began laughing wetly, blood streaming from his mouth. He sent a mental image of what he wanted everyone else to do, as he dug his fingers into the top of the thing's muzzle, effectively keeping its jaws latched around him. Hojo seemed to notice his intent, because he tried opening the jaws, but Cloud refused to budge. He continued to laugh as the Protectors swooped through its legs, cutting them out from underneath the Weapon. At the same moment, Sephiroth pierced its chest, directly through Hojo, as Zach landed on its back, shoving his sword through the Weapon's spine. At the same moment, with a burst of strength, he activated the fire materia in his sword, sending a fireball laced with his own power down its throat, even as he shoved his blade through it's eye all the way to the hilt. He was still laughing as the Weapon sunk to the ground slowly, dying. He released his grip, and fell out of the creature's mouth. Before he hit the ground, his world went white, then black, as he heard people screaming his name. I did it, he thought fuzzily. I saved the Planet, just like I was supposed to.

----------

"Cloud!" Zack and Sephiroth screamed in unison, ripping their weapons out of the beast as it started collapsing. Sephiroth managed to get there first, catching Cloud in his arms and sprinting out of the way, so the Weapon didn't fall on them. He set down the motionless form of his lover, his hands traveling restlessly over his body, cursing under his breath as he encountered the deep wounds from the things teeth. Zach skidded to a stop next to him, falling on his knees with his eyes wide in horror.

"Cloud, damnit, don't die!" the black haired man yelled harshly, frantically searching for a pulse. Hope flared in him for a moment went he felt a faint heartbeat, but the hope crumbled away when it beat once more, then stopped. He watched in horror, not even paying attention to the green light that surrounded the man, as the bright blue eyes mostly closed, and the glaze of true death dimmed the vivid color. He sat back heavily on his heels, his mind spinning as Angeal, and the four Protectors walked up to them, standing in a circle. Angeal knelt beside Zach, and placed a hand on his arm, though his eyes were all for Sephiroth.

"You remember what Aeris told you, Sephiroth, when she released the rest of your powers?" he asked quietly, wanting to wince at the hollow, dead eyes that met his. He winced at the small nod, before his friend went back to looking down at the lifeless body. He stood and walked over to Sephiroth, crouching down next to him.

Sephiroth found his eyes drawn to Angeal, as his long time friend began to glow with the shifting colors of blue and green. Blinking, he looked into the paling eyes, until a soft film covered them, making him seem as though he was blind. He felt that overwhelming peace once again, that he had felt in the presence of Aeris when she was channeling the Ancients. As he stared into the blind – yet not – eyes of his friend, he felt something rise inside him, and suddenly visions passed before his eyes. He snapped his head back to Cloud, and leaned down, pressing their lips together as his fire coated him gently. As he pulled back, the connection having been made, a pure white thread of energy connected their mouths, before moving as Sephiroth sat back, clasping his hands in his lap. It moved until the thread was situated over their hearts, and he barely heard Zach as he whooped in happiness, saying something about how his heart was beating again, and the wounds were slowly healing. Sephiroth paid no mind though. He was utterly concentrated on what he was doing. It was dangerous, because that gleaming white line represented his own life force.

As he understood it, the reason why Aeris had told him that he was the only one that could save him, was because he had the control to make something like this work. Zach would have shoved all his energy into the body before him, and then probably died. He knew how to moderate the flow of energy, and he could, hopefully, keep Cloud's body alive long enough for his spirit to return. He had needed to die to complete their mission, but there were always loopholes. The Ancients never said anything about bringing him back to life after he had died.

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"So he's alive?" Zach asked, when Angeal pulled him away from the two glowing men. Nodding, he smiled sadly at his pupil.

"Puppy, it's time I go," he said quietly, still shimmering with the blue and green. Zach blinked wide eyes at him, but he was surprised when Zach only smiled, walking over to him and enveloping him in a hug. He wrapped his own arms around the broad shoulders, closing his eyes at the knowledge that this would be the last time he would be able to hug his student for a long time.

"I knew you would have to," Zach said quietly against his chest, watching the four Protectors gather wood and such for a fire, though he wasn't really watching. He was lost in memories, of all the other times he had been held by his mentor, usually after battles where he had lost good men under his command. He wasn't sad about this though, even though he thought maybe he should be. He understood that Angeal wouldn't be completely gone, and because of his time in the Lifestream, all he would have to do is find a spot where it was on the surface, and he could speak with him again.

"I love you Puppy," Angeal said quietly, and Zach smiled, feeling the form underneath him start to go misty as he dissolved.

"Love you to Angeal," he responded, earning a final, quick kiss on the forehead before he was completely gone. Still smiling slightly, he walked over to Sephiroth and Cloud, and knelt on the other side, watching his two lovers with intensity. He closed his eyes, grinning when he heard both their hearts beating in unison. It will be alright, he thought, hope filling him.

----------

He opened his eyes, blinking at the green, pulsing stream that surrounded him. Sitting up, he frowned. Around him in a circle, were the spirits of his mother, Angeal, Aeris, Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz, and the three Spirit Animal's. He reached up to rub his forehead, and blinked at his own hand. It was solid, unlike the rest of the people surrounding him. They were misty, and he sighed as he nodded, understanding what that meant.

"I'm not actually dead, am I?" He asked quietly, watching Aeris as she came and knelt by his side. She shook her head, smiling.

"No, you're not. You will be though, if you don't get back to your body. Sephiroth will die as well. He is pouring his life energy into you, to keep you alive," she said, causing him to blink in panic, and stagger to his feet. Once there, the calm overtook him again, and he stopped, looking around with another frown.

"I thought I was supposed to die to save the Planet," he said quietly, confused. Aeris nodded, and then laughed softly.

"Cloud, you did die. Sephiroth started your heart beating again," she said, and slowly, a grin began to form on his face. He did officially die. He had fulfilled the charge that the Planet and Cetra had given him. Not daring to hope, but not completely able to squash the feeling in his chest, he looked around at the spirits surrounding him. He finally settled on Lupus, and smiled sadly. The great wolf came up to him, and as he buried his face in the thick fur of his neck, he knew this would be the last time he would see his Ignis Anima.

"That was stupid what you did," he muttered, not ashamed at all about the tears that were flowing down his face. Lupus chuckled softly.

**We needed to keep him from finishing the Restore. We didn't intend to die, but we all knew it was a possibility. Besides, none of you need us anymore. **Sighing, Cloud drew back from the wolf. He looked around, before frowning at Angeal. Then his eyes widened as he remembered what the man had said.

"So I guess your charge is done as well?" He asked, and Angeal nodded.

"Once the Weapon and Hojo were dead, there was no need for me to remain," he said calmly, and then walked up, setting his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "You did good Cloud. But now its time for you to go back. They need you there more then you're needed here. I don't want to see Sephiroth go insane again, and take Zach with him." Grinning, Cloud nodded, and gave the man a brief hug. Angeal stepped back, and the three brothers stepped up. He found himself laughing when Loz smacked the other two on the backs of their heads, and then bowed.

"You'll have to forgive my brothers," the eldest said with a smirk, rolling his eyes as the other two muttered under their breath. "They were led astray, against their own better judgment. I'm sorry I died early on. I would of kept them in line." Laughing softly, Cloud took his offered hand, shaking it. He then shook hands with the other two, who were smiling at him sheepishly. Shaking his head, he turned to his mother, and walked into her arms when she opened them. Hugging her close, he closed his eyes and let his head rest against her chest. She sighed and stroked the back of his head, and down his back.

"Oh my son, I am so proud of you," she whispered, and he found that the tears were back. He blinked when she grabbed his shoulders roughly and held him at arms length, fixing him with a stern eye. "But you have two men who love you to pieces, and you need to get back to them. You will see us all again." Nodding, he stepped away from her, only to find himself thrown to the ground as Draco and Aquila attacked him with their rough tongues. Laughing, he tried batting them away, to no avail. Finally he just let them lick him, until Draco's mighty paw lifted, and he was allowed to get up. The dragon butted his nose against his chest, gaining his undivided attention.

**Go. They need you.** Aquila only nodded in agreement, and he finally turned back to Aeris, smiling.

"I'm ready, flower girl," he said with a small smirk, earning him a smack on the arm, though she was smiling too. He watched as her eyes paled until she looked blind, and the ribbon that held her hair slithered away, letting her hair flow on the breeze of her powers. Her pink dress faded until she was clothed in shimmery white robes, and he fell to his knees, looking up at the beautiful apparition before him. She leaned down, taking his face in her hands, and kissed him gently.

"I thank you, Cloud Strife. The Planet and the Cetra thank you." She kissed him again, and he felt as though he was falling through the green, swirling mist, feeling as though his body was being restricted. Closing his eyes, he curled into a ball, tucking his head between his knees with a smile. Aeris' voice floated out of the darkness. "Now go live your life, with those that you love. You all have deserved it. We love you Cloud, never forget that." Then the darkness swallowed him again, and his world went black as the feeling of being squeezed through a tiny tube became too much.

----------

Opening his eyes, his first sensation was that he was in a lot of pain. Everywhere hurt on his body, and for a moment he couldn't figure out why. Then the memory came back, and he thrust himself into a sitting position, looking around wildly as he pushed the pain away. He saw Sephiroth lying next to him, hollow cheeked and almost stick thin. Zach was also sound asleep on his other side, and as he continued to look around, he saw the four Protectors sitting around a large bonfire, talking quietly. He lay back down before anyone noticed that he was awake, and with a small smile, he reached to the men next to him, and pulled their sleeping forms to him, even though the motion made his abused muscles scream in protest. Closing his eyes, he smiled softly as the two automatically shifted so they could curl up against him, and as they rested their heads on either side of his chest, he put his arms around them, holding them close. He didn't try to stop the warm feelings in his chest, like he would have at one point of his life. Instead, he let it flow through him, beating in much the same way the two hearts were beating next to him. He was alive, the Planet was saved, and the two great loves of his life were also alive. There was no longer any Jenova, or Hojo, and ShinRa was taken over by a competent, surprisingly compassionate President, who was actually trying to help the Planet and its people, not destroy it. Everyone was alive that should be alive, and it would remain so. He opened his softly glowing eyes as a realization hit him, and he stared up at the stars that stretched out above him. I'm happy, he thought, his mouth stretching into a wide grin, the warm feeling suffusing his entire body, until it felt as though he was going to explode. I am truly happy with myself, and my life. Closing his eyes, he drifted into much needed sleep, with one last thought on his mind before exhaustion claimed him. About damn time.


	13. Epilouge

**Wow. Ok, this is offically the final chapter in these two stories. *sniff* Ok, I'm sad, but ridiculously happy! And I know I said a few days, but I got stuck somewhere in the middle. Hope you like it!**

* * *

_**6 Months Later**_

Cloud smirked slightly, while watching Yuffie and her father argue. Leaning against Sephiroth, he yawned slightly as Rufus and Zach walked up to them, Rufus pale as the white dress shirt he wore.

"So you think he'll kill you now, or after you marry Yuffie?" Cloud asked, grinning wickedly when the ShinRa President paled even further. Wincing as Zach hit him lightly on the arm, he glared at his other lover while rubbing his arm.

"Don't pay any attention to him, Ruf-" BOOM! They all ducked instinctively, looking towards the throne where the ninja and her father had been arguing. Godo was open mouthed with shock, staring at what once used to be his throne. It was now a melted and burning pile of gold and wood. Cloud was ready to make a dash to the girl when she raised her hand again, face livid, a sphere of Fire materia clenched in it, but Rufus was faster. The blonde wrapped his arms around her, making her freeze in his arms.

"Shhh Yuffie," Rufus whispered soothingly, glaring at Godo the entire time. "Regardless whether he gives his blessing or not, he is still your father. I know you don't want him dead." Yuffie dropped her arm, and growled ferociously at her father, though she relaxed into the embrace.

"I don't care if he gives his blessing or not," she hissed, though the strong words were spoiled by the tears in her eyes. She closed her eyes a moment, showing a side of her many hadn't seen in the past two years. She looked weary, nothing like the strong, confident Hiala (General) of the Wutai. She looked every bit her age, only 20. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, and looked calmly at her father.

"I would like your blessing, but I do not need it. I will marry Rufus, even if it means relinquishing my birthright. I love him father." Godo's face closed down, even as his dark eyes turned thoughtful. Cloud glanced up at Sephiroth with a raised eyebrow, asking silently if he thought Godo would agree. His lover shook his head, frowning. Shrugging, Cloud turned back to the scene in front of them. They were only here for moral support, having nothing to do since the Creations had agreed to stay on the Northern Continent, and not interfere with human lives. They weren't able to breed, so once the odd 30 or so of them died, there would be no Creations of Hojo's left on the Planet. Right now, they were waiting for Glaci, Maya, and Opal to give birth to their children, which would happen roughly in about another six months. He let the random thoughts drift away as he snuggled in closer to Sephiroth, hugging the mans arms tighter around him, when Godo nodded his head decidedly. He held his breath in anticipation as the Leader walked up to the couple, and then extended his hand to Rufus.

"I don't like you, or your company. I can freely admit that I hate the idea of my daughter marrying you." He took a deep breath. "I can also freely admit that you are not your father, and you have made ShinRa into a company that should be respected for the help it gives the Planet, and its people. I give you both my blessing." Rufus reached for his hand, face openly shocked, but Yuffie had other plans. She screeched in happiness, and launched herself at her father, hugging him fiercely. Godo staggered back, but was smiling widely as he returned the embrace. Everyone watched in amusement as the two melted into hugging, kissing, babbling people, their old grudges gone. For the time being, at least.

----------

They were married a week later, and in ten years time, Godo stepped down from the throne, Yuffie took over, and Rufus changed Wutai into a economic power all on its own. Thanks to Rufus, Wutai was now a trade island, renowned for its handmade woodcrafts, which were exquisite. They were the only exporter of special kinds of fish, found far and deep out in the blue ocean, and through it all, Yuffie managed to keep her country true to their native ways, turning Wutai from the once beaten, dispirited people, into what they once were. Proud, confident warriors.

----------

Sweating, Sephiroth grunted softly as he took another piece of lab equipment down into one of the rooms at the very bottom. They were renovating the old ShinRa mansion, and their first order of business was removing all the lab stuff left over from Hojo, down into the very bottom of the underground rooms. After that was done, mostly everything below the first floor was going to be sealed off. They all liked the mansion, but not what was underneath it.

Growling softly, he set down the heavy steel table, and stretched. It was the last piece from the third level, the last piece before they began to wall things up. Tomorrow everyone was coming to the mansion, truly getting together for the first time in ten years. Rufus and Yuffie were bringing their twins, a boy and a girl, five years old. Angeal and Aeris, they had decided to call them, after the two people who had been critical in helping them achieve the peace that had now settled over the Planet. Reno, Rude, and Tifa were taking time off from the club/restaurant's they owned and managed, and even Marlene and Vincent were flying in from the research they had been doing on one of the islands to the south. Sephiroth frowned slightly as he made his way up the stairs. He didn't know if either Denzel or Genesis had gotten his message about the gathering, since they were off with some of the wolf pups, training them in the depths of the rainforest on Wutai. He had told Yuffie to find them, because if anyone could find the two 1st Class, it would be her. Even in ten years, she still made sure to keep her skills honed. Granted, most of her training came from chasing around the twins, who, unfortunately, inherited her curious nature and hyperness.

He reached the top of the stairs, and only instinct saved him from being thrown back down the stairs when two, sandy blonde kids threw themselves at him.

"Uncle Sephi!" the two screamed, and grinning, he picked them up, one in each arm. He listened to them babble as he walked towards the happy voices in the entranceway of the mansion, his heart light.

----------

He was sitting on the end of the couch, a glass of brandy in his hand, staring into the fire. Cloud had his head resting on his lap, and Zach sat on the floor, all three of them quiet as they stared into the flickering fire. It had been a good visit, if a little surprising. Tifa had shown up with Rude and Reno, and she had been very pregnant. She had said, with pride, that the baby was Rude's, but they all had an agreement going on. Apparently, they had developed into a threesome, much like Zach, Sephiroth, and Cloud. She had agreed to have one child with each of them, and the way the two men had fawned over her, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the arrangement was working for them. Even Tseng and Elena had a little girl, Rela, with her fathers dark eyes, and the bright blonde hair of her mother. They had decided to stay with Rufus, and the Turks became the guardians of not only Rufus, but Yuffie, and the twins as well. They had already recruited several more people, building up their force.

Cloud shifted slightly, lazily reaching a hand over and draping it across Zach's shoulder, idly caressing the muscular chest. It was quiet in the mansion, since Maya and Glaci were outside with their offspring, hunting in the mountains of Nibelheim. Opal had disappeared soon after her children had learned how to hunt on their own, and no one had heard from her since. Their had been sightings from the Wutai that were out in the ocean fishing, of a great black bird, fishing in the ocean for large fish and whales. They didn't know where it went, but the popular belief was that there was a small island out there somewhere, that she was now living on. Glaci and Maya had made their home with the three Generals, while their offspring went off into the world.

Denzel and Genesis had shown up, much to everyone's delight. They had kept in contact with people, but only very sporadically. It seemed that they were living quietly in the outskirts of Banora, growing the famous Banora Whites there, along with other vegetables and fruits, and a few animals. Marlene and Vincent were in perfect health, and it was with much amusement, that Marlene relayed the way she had gotten her husband to get rid of the red cape and headband. She wasn't able to make him get rid of the metal shoes, but they were locked in storage. Those two were flying around the Planet, researching the regrowth of plants and animals, and those animals that needed to be protected until they could come back. Everyone was busy with their perspective occupations, and the three Generals lay before the fire, staring into it, content.

----------

_**20 years later…**_

Zach sat cross-legged before the mansion, soaking up the sun that was beating down on him. He kept a careful eye on Angeal and Aeris, as they sparred before him, as well as Laura and Marion, Tifa's two daughters. Marion was Reno's, as could be easily told by the shock of pure red hair on her head, but she had her mothers eyes, dark and imperious. Laura was the elder, being Rude's, she had mocha colored skin, her hair and eyes dark as her mothers and fathers. Rela, Tseng and Elena's daughter was supposed to be here as well, but Tseng needed her for something in Wutai, so her trip had to be cancelled.

"No Aeris!" he shouted, when he noticed that they girl was holding back her strikes. "He's not going to break if you attack him all out! Now do it again!" She bowed her head to him, and turned back to her twin, launching into the offensive with quick strikes. Nodding in satisfaction, he blinked when something moving swiftly blocked out the sun for a moment. Looking up, he grinned with the sun flashed off scarlet wings. Marlene and Vincent landed gracefully, folding their wings as the young adults stopped what they were doing and ran towards them.

"Uncle Vincent! Auntie Marlene!" was the chorus of voices, causing the three adults to smile widely. The two Protectors lowered very large packs off their backs, and Zach raised an eyebrow at the weapon sheaths that poked out of the leather. He raised an eyebrow at Vincent, who only shrugged, though he couldn't stop grinning.

"We found something interesting in Icicle," Marlene said, her pack also clanking as she shifted through it. She pulled out a pure black katana, laced with veins of blue and green. Zach blinked, then grinned.

"They kept all those weapons?" he asked, looking over his shoulder when Cloud and Sephiroth came out of the mansion, neither having shirts on in the 90-degree plus heat. He was distracted for a moment, watching the way the sunlight played over their muscles, but was brought back to himself when Marion screamed in delight. He looked back, to see her holding two short swords, that were shaped like a teardrop at the top. She stepped back and swung them around her body, grinning. Her sister Laura was inspecting two hand axes, eyeing them critically. Angeal was holding what could have been a standard SOLDIER broadsword, if it hadn't been black. Aeris had hold of a staff, that was odd with it being metal, but the top contained a perfectly clear, spherical crystal, that glimmered with a multitude of colors. Without being asked, the four young adults stepped back into the clearing they were training in, and took up their positions. The adults watched as they sparred against each other, before turning to each other, though keeping an eye on the youngsters.

"The people of the village didn't know what to do with them, so they gave them to us," Vincent said, narrowing his eye as Aeris struck a vicious blow on her twins thigh. He only winced, and then grinned at her, resuming the spar.

"How's Alia and Silk?" Cloud asked, since his SiC had decided to stay in Icicle, mainly to watch over the Creations that were still running around up there. Marlene grinned at him briefly, before stalking over to Marion. She was staring at her sister, aghast at the blood that was coming from the cut on Laura's arm.

"Those are not padded blades girls!" she said loudly, smacking Marion on the back of her head lightly. "You need to be more careful, or I will take them back!" The two girls snapped to attention while the twins snickered softly, bowing their heads towards the winged woman. She walked back, shaking her head.

"Their fine. Alia is still single, and I think she prefers it that way," she said, then grinned widely. "Besides, Silk has chased most the men away." They all got a smile out of that, knowing how protective the wolves were of their charges, before resuming watching the sparring.

"It's almost scary how much of their parents personality they have," Sephiroth muttered absently, not really meaning to be heard. Zach did though, and snorted.

"Aeris is another Yuffie, just without the stealing," he said with a smirk. "That includes the mastery over materia, already. That staff will be good for her, since her main weapon is magic."

"Angeal is more like Rufus now though," Cloud said thoughtfully, watching the concentration on the young mans face. "He always thinks things through, which is good."

"Laura has Rude's meticulous attitude," Marlene said with a grin, watching the girl move with the axes precisely. "But she also has Tifa's big heart." Sephiroth nodded.

"Marion is very much Reno," he said with a smirk, watching as the youngest one snarl in frustration when unable to land a blow on her sister. "But she's careful, which Reno isn't."

They watched the young ones spar for a while longer in silence. Angeal and Aeris were already 25, and it wouldn't be long before Yuffie would step down from the throne, and Aeris would take her place. Angeal already said he wanted to follow after his father, so he was going to take over ShinRa when Rufus decided to step down. Laura was 21, already managing and running three of her families clubs, with Marion, 19, working with her to learn the ropes. It was strange that Rela wasn't there, since her charges were the twins, but they had known being around Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach, there was no way something was going to happen to the heirs. Suddenly, Cloud clapped his hands loudly, making the four stop, and lower their weapons.

"Time for a break! Go into the house and get yourselves something to drink and eat!" The four shouted, and taking their weapons with them, they filed into the house, laughing and joking amongst themselves. The young faced, but old souls watched them go, the same thought on all their mind. That is our future.

----------

_**8 years later…**_

Cloud held Aeris and Angeal to his chest, as they stood by the dual graves. Yuffie had contracted a rare disease that there was no cure for, and had died within two months of being diagnosed. Rufus, unable to live without her, had gone monster hunting, and had died under their claws, though not before destroying every creature. The family priest was going on about how their souls were now in the Lifestream, that they had entered the Promised Land. No one was really listening to them. Marion and Laura were ensconced in the embrace of their mother, their fathers standing directly next to them. Rela was holding her mothers hand, her face carefully blank. It wasn't until she sneaked a glance at the twins, that sorrow filled her dark eyes. Everyone had loved Rufus and Yuffie, as evident by the sea of people that spread out from the graves, filling the cemetery and the surrounding areas. Aeris sniffed against his chest, and Cloud only held her tighter as the priest finished, stepping back from the graves.

He looked around the silent mass of people, and felt his own lengthened life span like a vise around his heart. Everyone was showing signs of aging. Aging that wouldn't happen to him, or those close to him, for a long time yet. Even with keeping themselves in shape, the grey hair and fine lines were obvious. Things that he didn't have. Sighing, he gently kissed the forehead of the two adults in his arms. Though he may resent the longer lifespan, he could not regret being able to guide the generations that were yet to come. It had been the last request of Yuffie and Rufus. The three Generals had sworn that they would guide and protect what they had all worked so hard to achieve. They never broke their word.

----------

_**100 years later…**_

The third generation of club owners, Royalty, and Turks were spread out in the clearing before the mansion, awaiting instruction. The three Generals wandered through the lines, having finally developed the fine lines next to their eyes, and around their mouths. They didn't look any older then thirty, even though they were over 150 years old. They corrected movements, even as they thought.

Tifa, Rude, and Reno had all passed away within a year of each other, then Tseng and Elena a few years later. Tifa's daughters had turned the four clubs that their parents had owned, into a multi-million dollar business, with clubs, restaurants, and martial arts studios in every major city on the Planet. The twins had kept their parents dream alive, and Wutai was now the center of the worlds economic business. ShinRa was still a thriving business, though it had fallen into the background, thanks to Angeal. The majority of the Company was now military, and inventions, though the world needed little else besides the police forces in every city and town.

Rela, Tseng and Elena's daughter, had built up the Turks to a formidable force, and were exclusively for the Royalty of Wutai and ShinRa. Even now, Rela's great-great grandson was in the group of young adults who were training, preparing to take over the leadership of the Turks. It had become hereditary, and most of the Turks were now descendents of Tseng, Elena, Rude, and Reno. The twins, another hereditary gene among the descendents of Rufus and Yuffie, were also training, working harder then most. They took the stories that the three General's told to heart, and worked all the harder because of it. They believed when they were told the world was once much worse. Where towering forests now stood outside Midgar, there once were deserts. Where millions of people had died in the rainforests of Wutai, cut down by the once greedy company of ShinRa. They believed. And Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zach kept their promise to Yuffie and Rufus. It was why these people were here, being trained by them. The three imparted their iron control, and firm beliefs into the young adults, in the two years they were required to train under the General's. They learned about honor, the value of honestly, and not repeating past mistakes. So far, in three generations, it had worked.

----------

_**200 years later…**_

Zach groaned as he stood, brushing off the dirt from the garden on his pants. He took a moment, looking past the garden, and into the vast expanse of pristine, forest covered mountains. He could hear Denzel and Genesis arguing playfully in the kitchen, and Vincent and Marlene laughing at their antics. Sephiroth and Cloud had gone down to the now city of Nibelheim, to purchase some things that they didn't grow in their garden. It was only a week ago that the training for the descendents, as they had started calling it, had finished, and the adults had gone back to their perspective jobs. Though Yuffie, next in line for the Wutai throne, had called Sephiroth only yesterday, complaining about the two wolves that had decided to follow her and her twin back to Wutai. It seemed that the descendents of Lupus had gotten into her room, and decided to tear the place apart. Sephiroth had been polite, but at the end, he had smirked.

"Yuffie, I can't punish the wolves from Nibelheim. You wanted them, you punish them. Good day, my dear." Then he had hung up, laughing.

He looked up at the sound of wings, and smiled when Maya landed gently on the ground, careful where she placed her claws. Her and Glaci had gotten old, and they all knew it wouldn't be much longer before they were the next ones to go. Maya's scales were dull with her age, and though her eyes remained bright and intelligent, there was a tiredness in her every movement. She sighed and settled herself down under the huge oak tree in the middle of the garden, even as Glaci walked around the mansion, panting. She lay down against Maya's belly, and the two of them regarded Zach with amused eyes.

"It is fulfilling to see our offspring interact with the humans of this Planet," Maya said, her voice papery thin, unlike the robust, crisp tones she used to have. Glaci nodded, stretching out on her belly.

"They have adapted well to intelligent animals," the wolf hissed, yawning. Zach nodded. He had noticed the same thing, on his last trip to Midgar. The wolves, eagles, and dragons were not as populous as the humans, but something Hojo did made it so the first six generations were born with completely different DNA. There was no chance of inbreeding, and now, the animals were an accepted part of society. They even had jobs, because they were just as intelligent as the humans. He ran his hands through his hair, a hint of grey starting at his temples. They had finally figured it out. Every hundred years was roughly ten for their bodies. So even though their minds were about 350 years old, their bodies were only in their late thirties, maybe forty. It was the same with the four Protectors. Even Vincent was beginning to acquire silver hairs. He shrugged mentally, and brushed mental fingers against the two doorways in his mind.

_Where are you loves?_ He asked, and was rewarded when they sent him a brief image of walking up the long driveway that led to the mansion. Stretching again, he grinned.

"You two are staying for some food, right?" he asked, and smirked when the two great animals nodded.

"We never pass up on food. While we may like our meat raw, whatever Cloud does to the wild boar is very tasty," Glaci said, licking her lips. Maya echoed her, and Zach laughed. They all were happy, and that was what truly mattered.

----------

_**500 years later…**_

The Generals stood at the edge of the pulsing green pond, where the two had emerged when they were reborn into this world. Genesis and Denzel had gone into the Lifestream over fifty years ago, their bodies having reached their limit. No one was surprised though, since they had been talking for a long time of how they were ready to move on. The same for Vincent and Marlene, though it wasn't their bodies that gave out. They had been doing their research on a remote island somewhere in the sea, and a freak storm had sent them hurtling into a rock face, killing them instantly. That had been over 100 years ago, but no one could find it in themselves to actually mourn. The three had known, talking to them in their dreams, thanks to Aeris, that they were perfectly happy where they were now.

The Planet was stable, and covered with wildlife and vegetation. They hadn't trained anyone new in quite some time, but they knew it wasn't needed anymore. The ideals they had strived so hard to imprint on the past generations had finally taken a firm hold. The Planet was a peaceful as a Planet filled with humans could be. There would always be thieving, murder, and backstabbing, but that was human nature. Thankfully, the generations of intelligent animals had tempered the natural dark side of humans, and there wasn't as much "evil-doing" as one would expect. Everything they had asked for, everything they had worked so hard to achieve was firmly ensconced in the Planet, and that was all they wanted.

They stared into the depths of the pond, their hands firmly holding onto one another's. Zach's hair had turned pure silver, while Cloud's still spiky hair had only paled until it was almost white. Sephiroth's hadn't changed at all, besides that it was cut only to his waist now. They all had the fine lines on their faces, weariness in their still softly glowing eyes. Their bodies ached when they awoke in the mornings, their skin was only slightly saggy, because they still endeavored to keep themselves in shape. But now, as they stared at the pond, they knew it was time to go. They had been on this planet for almost 1,000 years, and there was nothing left for them to do anymore. The three blinked when forms began to take shape in the pond, rising gracefully out of the stream. Aeris was in the front, gliding towards them with a smile on her face, but behind her, everybody stood. Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo, Angeal, Genesis, Denzel, Marlene, Yuffie, Vincent, Rufus, Reno, Rude, Tifa, Elena, Tseng, Barrett, Cid…everyone, including Lupus, Draco, Aquila, Glaci, Maya, and Opal. The three smiled, overcome with a feeling of immense peace, as they walked into the constantly shifting pond. Aeris opened her arms, and embraced all three of them. As she did, the age melted away from their faces, turning them all back into the youth's they once were.

"Are you ready?" she asked, and as one, the three nodded, their bodies dissolving into the Lifestream, accompanied by backslapping, welcome homes, and laughter.

----------

_**257 years later…**_

The three crept towards the abandoned building, staring in awe as the ivy covered walls. The eldest, with silver hair and bright green eyes, nudged the smaller blonde, smirking.

"I dare you to go in there, Angel," he said, causing the blonde with spiky hair, and bright blue eyes to glare at him.

"Fuck you Daemon," he hissed back, causing the other boy, with feathery black hair and violet eyes, to shoot him a glare.

"Watch your mouth Angel," he said imperiously.

"Fuck you too Raz," he spat back, making the black haired boy scowl, and leap on him. The two wrestled around in the dirt, while Daemon stared at the building, ignoring them. He was 7, Angel 5, and Raziel 6, but for some reason the three, who had been born in Nibelheim, had been best friends since meeting by accident on a playground a few years ago. The old, abandoned mansion had always held an attraction for them too, and whenever they had free time, they would always sneak up here, and stare at it, though they never went in. Legend had it, that there were three Generals who had lived in the mansion, for almost a thousand years. He scoffed at that, because unless you were one of the Anima's – the three races of intelligent animals – you were lucky to live to be a hundred. They loved hearing the stories though. Of how the three would burn with fire, swiftly killing their enemies with one blow of their unique, black blades. How they kept the peace though their long lives, and how they were friends with people with wings. They were a completely different story, the four Protectors, as they were called.

"Death," Angel whispered, staring at the building with blank eyes. On the verge of saying something, Daemon was captured by how beautiful Angel looked, standing in a sunbeam. A older version of him seemed to superimpose itself over his face, and he knew instinctually that he would do anything to protect this boy/man in front of him. A word floated across his mind, and he smiled slightly, feeling as though he was dreaming.

"Lover," he whispered, causing Angel and Raz to look at him, both with the blank expression on their faces.

"Brother," Raziel whispered as well, and the three shifted unconsciously to form a triangle. They stared at each other for long moment, seeing the men they used to be, but also the boys they were. Their eyes pulsed once with fire, and the spell was snapped. They blinked, and looked at each other curiously, before turning to look at the mansion. The spell was completely snapped when Raz squeaked, looking at his watch.

"Oh shit! We gotta get back you guys! My mom is making dinner for us!" he yelled, and the three boys took off down the path, forgetting the weird feeling that had taken over them, though the sense of completeness never left them again. Yes, life was very good, especially when you were completely normal. Finally.


End file.
